Tōbun Joshi Ga Gurūpu
by Cakedecorator
Summary: Take away animal DNA, the main protagonist having a major crush to hide her secret from, and only one girl, and then add sweets, weapons, a study-savvy ballerina, a sporty, immature girl, a flirty high school girl, and a naive blue-clad lady, and two boys
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! This a whole new story with a whole new series' worth of action, romance, drama, and SWEETS! This is my own made-up Anime/Manga series that has been running through my head for months! It's called, "Tōbun Joshi Ga Gurūpu", or "Sugar Girls Group"! Try thinking of it as a sweets-based Tokyo Mew Mew/Mew Mew Power without the main character having a huge crush or any animals involved with genetic mutations.**

* * *

_Birth of The Sugar Girls! Sakuranbo's Predicament!_

There was a crowd in front of the school's test scoreboard, and they were murmuring and talking about something really big, and people were impressed.

"Wow! Ayuzawa Sakuranbo is #1 in the test rankings _**AGAIN**_?" A male student said.

"She has a perfect score, as usual! As expected of her!" A female student said.

A girl was walking down the hallways, but only her shoes were shown.

"Ayuzawa-san really is something, isn't she? Never taking time to date or mingle… It's always studying and ballet with her!" A male student said.

The girl then walked past the crowd. She was wearing her long, brown hair in a ponytail, which was tied with a pink ribbon, and she was wearing thin glasses, as well as the school uniform.

"Is there something you want to say?" She asked.

"Ayuzawa-san!" The female student said. "Congratulations of being number one in the test rankings again!"

"Thank you, but it's nothing," Sakuranbo said. "Just keeping my priorities straight and never taking time to date."

"But don't you get lonely doing that?" The female student asked.

"Not really," Sakuranbo said. "I need to get home, okay? My parents want me to pick up some sweets."

Sakuranbo then left the school as the final bell for the day rang out, and then she readjusted her glasses.

'_My name is Ayuzawa Sakuranbo, a sixteen-year-old high school second-year. I'm your basic, everyday girl, with the exception of being extraordinarily smart, always ranking number one in exams, and being a prima ballerina in my ballet class. I'm considered a prodigy in academics and ballet.'_

Sakuranbo then came across her favorite confectionary, called _'Satō Ai'_, literally meaning "Sugar Love", and then she entered it, causing the bell to ring, and then the cashier turned to her, and said, "Ah, Sakuranbo-chan!"

"Konnichiwa, Eichi-san," Sakuranbo said. "I'm here for six of your chocolate, mocha-frosted cupcakes, please. And a baker's dozen of your cherry crème-filled bon-bon chocolates, if you can do that."

"Certainly, for one of my best regular customers." The cashier said, as he then took out two boxes: one with the cupcakes, and one with the chocolates.

He rang them up, and then after paying for them, Sakuranbo left the store, with a spring in her step, and walking home, with a smile on her face.

Meanwhile, the cashier went into the back of the store to see the owner of the shop working on his computer.

"Was she in here?" The owner asked.

"She was. Rikiya-kun, are you sure this is going to work? I know your late father's research says so, but you haven't tested it, have you?" He said.

"Eichi-kun, we can't take any precautions on this. Once she bites into the bon-bons we make for her tomorrow, everything is going to fall into place. We need her; it can't be anyone else, is that clear?" Rikiya said.

"I understand, but I'm not sure if this will be a success made from heaven and science or a deadly failure." Eichi said, with concern in his voice.

"It can't be a failure," Rikiya said. "It _**CAN'T**_ be a failure; otherwise, we're doomed."

* * *

Meanwhile, up in her bedroom, Sakuranbo had just finished her homework and more of her studies, and was now working on her ballet. She did an arabesque before doing a plié and then put her feet in the second position.

She then stood on her toes before doing a pirouette and then returned to the first position and then she raised her hands above her before spinning once and then putting her right foot behind her left knee and then kicked the leg to the side before bending both of her legs.

"Tomorrow's another day…" Sakuranbo said, as she stopped her dancing, and then after changing into her pajamas, brushing her teeth, and taking her glasses off, she then turned off the light, and then she went to bed.

The next morning, Sakuranbo was on her way to school, but she slowed down to look around her town, and realized how bored she was with seeing the same thing every single day.

"Man… Every single day, it's the same thing. Go to school, ace my classes, stop by the sweets shop, go home to practice my ballet, go to bed, and then I wake up and go through the whole thing again… I wish that something exciting would happen to change my lifestyle at least a tad. Not entirely change my life, but that might be okay… Who knows?" Sakuranbo said, as she then kept on her path to school.

As soon as she got to school, she was met by looks from of her female classmates; they seemed to be excited by something.

"Hey, hey, Sakuranbo-san!" One of the girls of the trio said. "The number two student wants to talk to you!"

"What does the student council president want with me?" Sakuranbo inquired out loud.

She soon met the student council president, a handsome, young man, with dark, disheveled hair, and bright eyes. He looked at Sakuranbo with a shine in his eyes and then he was blushing at the sight of her.

"President Matsubara, is there something I can do for you?" Sakuranbo said, a tad worried about what he wanted from her.

"Sakura- no, Ayuzawa-san…" He said. "I've… had my eyes on you for quite a long time."

"Eh?" Sakuranbo muttered.

"I admire how strict you are at studying, never taking time to goof around, and always keeping your priorities straight." He said, as he approached Sakuranbo.

"Um… Thank you." Sakuranbo said.

Matsubara then took Sakuranbo's hand and then he said, "_I like you. Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?_"

Sakuranbo, really shocked at this, gently took her hand away from Matsubara and then she quietly said, "I'm afraid I can't do that. If I have a boyfriend, I won't be able to keep my life on track."

"What?" Matsubara said. "You're turning me down?"

"I'm afraid so, but thank you for sharing your feelings for me." Sakuranbo said, as she then ran off to her next class.

Matsubara then hid his face with his hair, and then he said, "I'm not giving up."

"Sakuranbo-san! How did it go?" The trio asked.

"I turned down his confession." Sakuranbo said simply, as she then began back to her classroom.

"EH?!" The girls said.

"Doesn't she always turn down confessions?" One of the trio said.

Sakuranbo then took out one of her books to study from, but the confession kept ringing about in her mind and then she put the book down before looking downcast.

"Was he serious?" Sakuranbo said, as she tried picking up her book once more and studying.

However, what she did not know was that something was hovering about in the sky: it was a big, floating, disc-like object, and underneath it, were glowing, red lights. It soon panned out to a larger one of these and then inside, there was a boy around Sakuranbo's age, sitting in a gold-like chair. He had very strange features; his eyes were gold yellow, his hair literally ocean blue, and his skin was paler than a ghost. He had fingernails as long as eagle talons and he had fangs. He was watching some kind of screen, and then he groaned.

"This planet is going to be a cinch to take over," He said. "There's no one even trying to defend it."

He then chuckled a little bit and then the scene went back to Sakuranbo, who was in her History class.

"Ayuzawa Sakuranbo-san," The teacher said. "What was the reason for the American 1930's period prior to the breakout of World War II?"

"The people of America during the 1920's were investing in the stock market, and putting money in the banks, but when the stock market and the banks failed, everyone lost their money, thus heavy unemployment resulted and high poverty was going around. People were hopping freighters and wandering miles and miles around the country just to find work." Sakuranbo said.

"Correct! Moving on." The teacher said, as Sakuranbo sat down and went back to work.

Sakuranbo then sat back down and then she looked out the window once more.

'_Seriously… It's the same old same old every single day. A change in lifestyle is overdue…' _Sakuranbo thought.

Walking through the hallways, Sakuranbo was being looked at by all of the students in school, as if they had started to feel disdain towards her.

'_Why are they all looking at me like that?' _She thought.

She then noticed President Matsubara, and once they made eye contact, they both blushed, and Sakuranbo then just walked right past the crowd, her hair flowing, and causing Matsubara to blush and get dizzy; Sakuranbo's cherry-like scent was just intoxicating to him.

"She's very strange, isn't she? She must be crazy to turn down a confession from the Student Council President." One of the girls said.

"Ayuzawa-san is a smart girl, but not too social, don't you think?" Another girl said.

_'Great… Now they're talking about me like people in Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' talk about Belle.' _Sakuranbo said, as she kept walking, with her head held high.

She soon went into the library and saw that even more people were looking at her in an odd way.

'_And now I've for a reputation not only for being the smartest girl in school, but the girl who turned down President Matsubara…' _Sakuranbo thought, as she then left the library in disdain.

Back at _'Satou Ai'_, Rikiya and Eichi were working in the back of the shop once more. Rikiya was working on the computer as usual while Eichi was working on some cherry crème chocolates.

"I hope Sakuranbo takes them, and eats one. It won't work on anyone else because she's unique and this chocolate is made specifically for _her_. It's not compatible with anyone else." Eichi said.

"She won't turn them down; they're her favorite. The effects won't come into play until we need her to. Sure, she's going to be eating cherries like crazy once that chocolate is in her mouth, but at least cherries are good for people…" Rikiya said.

Walking home, Sakuranbo was doing some ballet steps on the way, but she stopped in front of _Satou Ai_ for a little while to pick up more of her favorite chocolates.

"Konnichiwa, Eichi-san!" Sakuranbo said, as she walked into the store.

"Ah, Sakuranbo-chan! You're here for some cherry crème chocolates, I assume?" Eichi said, from behind the counter.

"You read my mind, Eichi-san." Sakuranbo said, with a sigh.

"Is something the matter?" Eichi asked.

"I got a confession from the school Student Body President, but I turned him down and now everyone in school is looking at me funny and talking about me in ways that make me uncomfortable. I need a pick-me-up…" Sakuranbo said, sadly.

"Well, that's too bad. However, I had hoped you would come in today, so I made some fresh cherry crème chocolates in advance, just for you!" Eichi said, as he gave her the chocolates.

"Thank you! And the usual price?" Sakuranbo asked.

"Oh, yes." Eichi said.

Sakuranbo paid for her chocolates, and then she smiled, and said, "Thank you, Eichi-san! You made my day, but now I gotta go and get to my ballet practice! See you later!"

"She took them, Rikiya." Eichi said, as Sakuranbo left.

"Good," Rikiya said. "Now we just wait for her to eat one."

* * *

Sakuranbo was so anxious to eat the chocolates that she took one out. It was a small chocolate with a pink spiral on top, hinting at cherry crème. She was almost drooling, and then to satisfy her anxiety, she ate the chocolate in one bite and then savored the flavor as anime hearts surrounded her and she was blushing while chewing the chocolate.

"Delicious! The cherry crème is always so delicious! And the chocolate matches it perfectly!" Sakuranbo said, as she then went back to walking to her ballet class.

However, deep down inside of her diploid cells, the tightly coiled double helixes of her DNA molecules were flashing pink as the chocolate had hit her stomach. Some of the material from inside the chocolate spread to her cells, and it embedded into different cells of her body, including her blood cells, stem cells, skin cells, and so on and so forth.

Although she did not feel it, the chocolates had fully combined with her genetic material, and then Sakuranbo was in for the life-change she wanted so badly.

"Good, she ate one." Eichi said, as he had witnessed it.

"Perfect!" Rikiya said. "Now our fates lie on her shoulders."

Sakuranbo was dancing with her class during practice, and as the prima, she was the most respected and talented of the group, and she did a pirouette before doing an arabesque and then she did a plié jump before landing on one foot and did another arabesque.

"Wonderful, Sakuranbo-chan," The dance teacher said. "As expected of the class prima."

"Thank you, Madame." Sakuranbo said, doing a ballet bow before standing herself up.

"That's all for today, my cygnets," The dance teacher said. "I'll see you next week."

"Thank you." Everyone said, before leaving practice.

* * *

Sakuranbo then left for her home, and then she ate the rest of her chocolates on the way. She felt so much better after her snack, and then she arrived to her house in a good mood.

She went straight up to her bedroom and started to dance once more and she felt so much happier afterwords. All of a sudden, her DNA started to throb, causing her to stop what she was doing and then she then started to crave cherries.

She went downstairs, and looked into the fridge to find a sack full of pitted, red cherries, and decided to get herself a bowl of them.

"This is strange; I've never had this sudden urge to eat cherries before." She said, but went back to eating them.

The next day, which was a weekend, Sakuranbo decided to talk a walk to the bookshop to get some more books on ballet dancing on the advanced level.

However, things were not to be at peace for long, as the same flying disc from before was up in the sky once again, and this time, it locked onto a bouquet of red roses at the nearby nursery.

"Perfect. This should make a good monster to attack the town. They say every rose has its thorns, but this is a rose that's _all thorns_!" The alien boy said, as he then pressed a few buttons on his screen and then released another object.

This was a cytoplasmic woodpecker of some sort, and then the bird flew down to the rose, and drilled its beak into the stem before flying away. The hole in the stem then repaired itself rather quickly, and soon, the rose changed into very unusual colors; the flower itself turned sickly blue and the stem turned black. The thorns then jutted out everywhere, infecting the other roses and causing them to wilt.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sakuranbo was looking around at the ballet section of the bookstore and found one on advanced techniques.

However, her concentration was interrupted when she heard screaming outside, only to look out the door and see a giant rose monster rampaging through the streets.

She put the book back and ran outside to see what was happening and then she saw the rose monster up close. The leaves were like clawed hands and the flower was like a giant Venus flytrap with actual teeth and the nectar was seeping out of the mouth like saliva was when someone would drool.

"What the heck is that?!" She shouted.

"Sakuranbo-chan!" Eichi said, as he and Rikiya ran over to her.

"Eichi-san, Rikiya-san!" Sakuranbo said, as she looked at them in relief.

"Are you okay?" Eichi said.

"Is now _really_ the time to ask me that? Right now, I'm more concerned about that flower monster? How is it going to be stopped?" Sakuranbo asked.

"You're going to be the one to stop it." Rikiya said.

"Oh, well that makes sense – wait, WHAT?! _ME?! HOW?!_" Sakuranbo shouted, in shock.

"Take this," Rikiya said, as he handed her a ring with a cherry on it. "No, it's not an engagement ring; just follow your instincts and then we'll explain everything later."

"Okay, whatever…" Sakuranbo said. _"Confection Ring: Transmogrification!"_

A large, pink, green-stemmed cherry appeared in the air and then Sakuranbo appeared in front of it. Pink light swirled around her body and then her hair magically turned pastel pink, which grew longer before being tied up into a ponytail that was tied up with a ribbon, and a pink beret with a large, red cherry on top appeared on her head. Her eyes turned light pink, and then she smiled with a wink, causing her glasses to vanish. The pink light around her body disappeared to reveal a strapless, pink, tutu-like dress with a skirt that was double-layered with top layer being light pink, with the lower layer being cherry-pink fabric, which went down to knee-height. Her top was strapless, and went just below her neckline, and the top's design consisted of a cherry that had been dipped in chocolate, while the rest of the top was a dark pink color. After doing some ballet twirls, she raised her arms in the air, and elbow-long, dark pink gloves with pink frills on the ends appeared on her arms after magic wrapped around her arms like ribbons. She then did an arabesque, which caused high-heel, knee-high combat boots that had pointed toes, as well as being dark pink to appear on her feet. After doing a jump and landing on one foot, she did a pirouette and raised her arms up to pose.

"What happened to me?!" Sakuranbo shouted.

"We'll explain later! Just use your instincts to fight that monster!" Eichi said.

"Here goes nothing, then!" Sakuranbo said, as she then got started on her fight.

She jumped up onto the roof, which was a good five meters up, and then she confronted the monster face-to-flower.

"Alright you thorny flower! I'm not going to stand here and let you tear up the city!" Sakuranbo said.

However, the flower just spat its nectar all over the nursery, and then the aroma intoxicated everyone but Sakuranbo.

"Huh?" Sakuranbo said.

"The ring makes you immune!" Rikiya said.

"Gotcha!" Sakuranbo said.

"Don't use your real name; it's dangerous!" Eichi said.

"Then what do I go by?" Sakuranbo asked out loud.

"What is your favorite sweet you buy at our shop every day?" Rikiya said.

Sakuranbo then got the idea. She did a few ballet turns, and then she posed by standing in the third position and standing on her toes while her arms were above her head.

"_I am the Angel of Cherries! I'm a Prima Ballerina! I am Cherry Blossom Chocolate!"_ Sakuranbo shouted.

"She's done it! We've got transmogrification!" Eichi said.

"Let's see how she does." Rikiya said.

'_Now, just as they said; follow my instincts.' _Sakuranbo thought.

She then did an arabesque before using her back leg to thrust herself off the roof, and then used her ballet leap to kick the Flower monster in the face, causing its saliva to splatter all over the street. Cherry Blossom Chocolate landed on the ground with both feet in the third position and then she did a front arabesque before turning to the monster to try attacking again.

"Good work! She's doing great!" Rikiya said.

After doing some more ballet turns, Cherry Blossom then put her arms out to her sides. However, pink, paper fans with cherries on them appeared in her hands, much to her surprise.

"Wow, such pretty fans!" Cherry Blossom said.

"Don't just stand there! Fight!" Eichi said.

"Oh, right." Cherry Blossom said.

She then turned her fans so they were parallel to the ground, and then just as she was about to do a ballet jump, she found herself flying up in the air with her fans acting as wings.

"Wow! This is new!" Cherry Blossom said.

The Flower Monster started spitting its nectar at Cherry Blossom, only for her to bring her fans together and then they became one shield, which blocked the nectar from hitting Cherry Blossom. After that, she brought the fans apart, and then she put one away while using the other to keep her airborne. She then threw the fan like a boomerang. It hit the flower once, and then as it came back to Cherry Blossom, it hit the flower again. Taking out the other fan, and grabbing the returning one, Cherry Blossom started flying around in circles around the flower monster.

However, none of this was going unnoticed by the one who created the flower monster in the first place.

He was on the edge of his seat – literally – and he was in shock to see that there was someone taking out his monster.

"I don't believe this! Who is she?!" He shouted.

Cherry Blossom then flew up and out of the way of the flower before using the fans to generate a large, powerful wind. She was just flapping them rapidly, at unreal speeds, and the large wind that was being created was blowing the saliva away from the public and the city, and the thorns on the rose were being blown off.

"Now for a finish up! _Cherry Blossom Fan Sword!_" Cherry Blossom said, as she raised one of her opened fans, and then a pink blade came from it. She then used her other fan to fly down to the base of the flower, where the energy she sensed was coming from, and then she sliced the flower from its abdomen before landing on the ground and doing a pirouette. The flower then fell down to the ground and it soon turned back into a normal, red rose.

"That was weird…" Cherry Blossom said.

"You were great!" Eichi said.

"But… What's going on?" Cherry Blossom asked.

"You might want to change back first before we explain anything. And come to the shop with us, too." Rikiya said.

"Okay…" Cherry Blossom said.

She then ran to hide, and she said, _"Confection Ring, Deactivate."_

She soon changed back to Sakuranbo, and then she came out of hiding.

* * *

"I see explanations are in order," Eichi said, as he and Rikiya brought Sakuranbo down to the basement of the store. "Sorry about this sudden life-change, but we need you."

"Okay…" Sakuranbo said. "I want answers! Transforming into a cherry girl?! Fighting monsters?!"

"What you just fought wasn't your average monster; what you fought was a Fungusite." Rikiya said.

"Fun… What?" Sakuranbo said.

"Here." Rikiya said.

Rikiya then snapped his fingers; the lights went down and then a movie screen came up from the floor. A video of some sort started to play, and then the film started with one of the big, floating discs with red lights underneath.

It took over the rose that Sakuranbo had fought earlier and then it changed into the flower monster she had fought.

"Okay. Fungusites are average multicellular organisms that have been overwhelmed and taken over by Virulenters." Rikiya said.

"Okay, what's a Virulenter? Some kind of disease-causing organism?" Sakuranbo asked.

"You might not be off-target, but just to be honest, we're not sure what they are, or what they want. However, we know that Earth is in danger." Eichi said.

"But if you're not sure about what they want, then how do you know they're hostile?" Sakuranbo asked.

"Do they look friendly to you?" Rikiya asked.

"Trust me, Sakuranbo-chan. We've been observing these things for many years as of now." Eichi said.

"_And_ we've been doing research on how to stop them, sort of like a vaccine for our planet. So far, the answer seems to lie in manipulating human DNA. That, and confections." Rikiya said.

"Confections?" Sakuranbo asked. "Is that why you opened up the sweets shop?"

"Right. Your DNA contains a very rare code that allowed it to infused with that of a confection. More specifically, your favorite treat: cherry crème chocolates, and we made sure those chocolates we gave you today contained the formula needed to infuse the natural chemicals in the chocolate with your DNA. There are other confections whose chemical and macromolecule structures could be of use to us. Like lemon meringue pies, blueberry muffins…" Rikiya began.

_"WHAT?! YOU __**MUTATED **__ME?!"_ Sakuranbo asked, angrily.

"No, we sort of gave it a jump-start. You already had the requirements needed, so to speak." Eichi said.

"I'm an honor role student in the 11th grade, and I don't know what you just said. You mean I had the power to do this already?" Sakuranbo inquired.

"When you transform, the power you generate enables you to remove the invasive Virulenter form the host organism. You're no mutant; you're a Sugar Girl, and humanity is counting on you." Rikiya said.

"I know I wanted a lifestyle change, but I didn't think it would involve saving the world!" Sakuranbo shouted.

"The idea creeps me out, too, but I'm not the one who chose you; fate chose you, so you're going to have to grow accustomed to it." Rikiya said.

"Look, ever since I started… well, whatever you call it, I've been craving cherries like there's no tomorrow and I've been having a hard time concentrating in school because cherries are all I've been thinking about, so getting used to this situation is out of the question!" Sakuranbo shouted.

"Don't worry about it," Eichi said. "The more of these Fungusites you destroy, the more well-known you'll become and the more adjusted you'll be to this. I know your life will never be the same after this, but we need you to help."

"Okay, fine, but I hope that I won't be doing this alone." Sakuranbo said.

"You won't be. There are three more girls out there who are just like you," Rikiya said. "Finding them will be the first part of the mission. Only clue is that they have a strong like for a certain sweet at this shop. In your case, it's cherry crème chocolates, and you come here daily, so that clued us in the first time. It won't be as easy with the other three, since we have so many regulars."

"So that means we need to find girls around my age that come here on a daily basis, and only buy a certain treat. Anything else?" Sakuranbo asked.

"Other than that each Sugar Girl has an odd mark on their body. In your case, you have a pink cherry mark on your leg." Rikiya asked.

"Seriously?" Sakuranbo asked, as she found it on her leg.

"That's right. We also need you to work here at the shop during your free time. Since we know you have ballet classes, it won't be during school hours or during your ballet times." Eichi said.

"Thanks. Is there anything else you want to tell me?" Sakuranbo asked.

"Take this ribbon and put it in your hair," Eichi said. He tied Sakuranbo's ponytail with the pink ribbon, and it had an electric sensor on the knot. "This has an electric sensor can sense the presence of a Virulenter or a Fungusite."

"Thanks. This is cute! And the sensor won't be noticed by the teachers." Sakuranbo said.

"You are first and foremost, a super heroine." Eichi said.

"Thanks, but I should get going; I need to get home and do my homework." Sakuranbo said, as she then left the basement and went home.

"Why didn't you tell her about that one particular detail?" Eichi asked Rikiya.

"She'll figure it out herself." Rikiya said, with a smirk.

Eichi then face-palmed himself in embarrassment and then he groaned.

Meanwhile, the alien went over the film that he had recorded from the fight and he seemed to keep himself focused on Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"Cherry Blossom Chocolate? Heh… This is getting interesting." He said.

"Sire, are you sure we shouldn't eliminate her first?" A voice said.

"NO! We first see what else she can do before we decide any course of action. For now, we keep creating Fungusites." He said, and then his focus was set on Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

Meanwhile, Sakuranbo was in her bed and was looking at her Confection Ring and then she said, "A Sugar Girl… That might be a nice, albeit epic change in my life. At least I can get some adventures."

She then put her ring in her drawer and then she went to sleep, but not without turning off her lamp, and setting her alarm clock.

* * *

**Time for a new adventure for Sakuranbo and her friends! Oh, wait, there have to be more friends than just Sakuranbo, and more people than just her fighting these sour aliens, right? Don't worry, we're going to get to that, soon. I WOULD put this story on Fictionpress if I had an account on that sister site, but I don't, and I am NOT asking my parents to let me have that anytime soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**In this chapter of "Tōbun Joshi Ga Gurūpu", Sakuranbo is on a mission to find the rest of the Sugar Girls only to find herself fighting her patience and even more Fungusites when she is forced to tutor lady jock, Makino Hana.**

* * *

_The Second Sugar Girl: Lemon Meringue Pie!_

Sakuranbo woke up the next morning only to look in her drawer to see her Confection Ring; everything that happened the day prior was in fact real.

She thought back to the fight the day before, and then she realized that this was the life-change she wanted all along.

Sakuranbo then got the idea. She did a few ballet turns, and then she posed by standing in the third position and standing on her toes while her arms were above her head.

~"_I am the Angel of Cherries! I'm a Prima Ballerina! I am Cherry Blossom Chocolate!"_ Sakuranbo shouted. ~

"I can't believe that happened…" Sakuranbo said. "Best to keep it a secret from my family. Can't have them worrying about me."

She then put on her usual school uniform, as well as her new ribbon, and then she went downstairs, and made herself some cherry pancakes. She felt really strange eating cherries in front of her family.

"Hehe! Eating cherries fits you, sweetie," Sakuranbo's mother said. "Since your name means cherry."

'_Whew…' _Sakuranbo thought. "I'll be at school as usual, okay, mom, dad?"

"No problem." They said.

Sakuranbo left for school, only to end up walking past the school soccer field and seeing the soccer team practicing for their next game.

"Wow… That's some dedication." Sakuranbo said.

* * *

Meanwhile, up in the sky, another Virulenter was scanning the area, and in the larger one, the boy that was in the chair earlier was rewinding and repeating the film from the day before. He kept pausing and rewinding whenever he got a good look at Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"That girl from yesterday…" He said.

_~Flashback~_

Cherry Blossom then flew up and out of the way of the flower before using the fans to generate a large, powerful wind. She was just flapping them rapidly, at unreal speeds, and the large wind that was being created was blowing the saliva away from the public and the city, and the thorns on the rose were being blown off.

"Now for a finish up! _Cherry Blossom Fan Sword!_" Cherry Blossom said, as she raised one of her opened fans, and then a pink blade came from it. She then used her other fan to fly down to the base of the flower, where the energy she sensed was coming from, and then she sliced the flower from its abdomen before landing on the ground and doing a pirouette. The flower then fell down to the ground and it soon turned back into a normal, red rose.

_~End of Flashback~_

"How is it that she has the power to mess around with our Fungusites? But no matter. We'll take care of her." He said.

* * *

Back at the school, Sakuranbo was studying, as usual, as well as trying to keep herself from being distracted by President Matsubara, who still seemed to have the hots for Sakuranbo.

Meanwhile, on the soccer field, a girl with long, wavy, yellow hair was crying out loud for some odd reason.

"Makino-san, until you get your grades up, you're benched from the girls' soccer team." The coach said, covering her ears from the girl's crying.

"No! NO! I'm the top player on the team! How can I bring my grades up?!" The girl said, as she went back to crying her eyes out.

"You could try studying for once!" The coach said, as she left.

As for Sakuranbo, she kept her ring in her backpack, just in case her ribbon sensed another Fungusite, and because jewelry was not allowed in school.

Then, the coach for the girls' soccer team then came in, and said, "Ayuzawa Sakuranbo-san?"

"Yes, that's me," Sakuranbo asked. "Can I help you?"

All of a sudden, she found herself face to face with the same girl who was crying on the soccer field earlier.

"This is Makino Hana, the best girl on the soccer team. Her grades are abysmal, so I'm entrusting you to be her tutor." The coach said.

"EH?! Have me tutor her?!" Sakuranbo said.

"Please!" Hana said, as she grabbed Sakuranbo's hands. "I don't know what I would do if I was kicked off the soccer team!"

Sakuranbo was caught off-guard with this sudden act of desperation. Not seeing much way out, between Hana's tears, and the coach's stern look, Sakuranbo muttered, "I'll do it…"

"Good," The coach said. "Now, how about you two get to work on your studies? Math, first."

The coach then left the two girls to work. Hana and Sakuranbo then looked at each other awkwardly, and then they found themselves in the classroom. They were covering trigonometry in their current study session.

"Okay, so the reciprocal cosine of the theta is equal the adjacent side divided by the hypotenuse of the triangle." Sakuranbo said, as she was teaching Hana the math to reverse trigonometry.

Hana seemed to get it… until she had to do word problems.

"Mou~! When it says "nine meters from the top", what does that mean?!" Hana complained.

"Try it like this," Sakuranbo said, as she put the visual of the problem up on the board. "Is it any clearer?"

"MUCH! Thanks." Hana said, as she got back to work.

However, Sakuranbo's ribbon started making subtle beeps, and then she looked out the window; nothing.

'_That's weird. The ribbon is reacting, but there aren't any Virulenters around. Maybe…' _Sakuranbo thought, looking back at Hana. _'Maybe the ribbon is reacting to Hana?'_

Hana then started to cry in desperation of not being able to understand the material of the work, and then Sakuranbo just sighed.

'_I was wrong…' _Sakuranbo thought, really annoyed. "Okay, what's the problem?"

"It's just this one part: the part that says that if the sine of thirty degrees is equal to the variable over the hypotenuse; how do I calculate it?" Hana whined.

"The calculator," Sakuranbo said, as she showed Hana how to calculate the sine, cosine, and tangent, as well as how to do their reciprocals. "Is this any easier to understand?"

"It's a lot easier! My coach wants us to cover all of the school subjects, but right now, my biggest concern is math." Hana said.

"Did you just say _all four subjects?_ You're failing _ALL_ of your classes?!" Sakuranbo asked.

Hana shrunk away, but nodded. Sakuranbo sighed, and said, "Fine…"

* * *

Later that afternoon, Hana and Sakuranbo were walking home, only to stop by the sweets shop and have a snack.

"Ah, Sakuranbo-chan," Eichi said. "Who's your friend?"

"Student," Sakuranbo corrected. "This is Makino Hana. I'm taking her to my house to tutor her. She's failing all of her classes."

"Oh, that's too bad. Hana-chan, what would you like?" Eichi said.

"Lemon Meringue Pie, please!" Hana said, immediately. "It's my ultra-favorite food _ever_!"

"Serious?" Sakuranbo thought. However, she looked up to her ribbon, since it was beeping again, and she groaned in mild annoyance.

Meanwhile, the same alien found a likely prospect: a lost kitten who was yowling in a nearby alley.

"This should do the trick," He said. "That girl might be able to handle flowers, but let see how she deals with cats."

"Sire, I still think that we should dispose of that girl as soon as possible before she gathers allies." Another alien boy said.

"Nonsense! We need to see what she's capable of to figure out her weak point." He replied.

The Virulenter then took the form of a flea, landed on the cat, and bit the skin. It then infused itself with the DNA and cells of the cat, causing it to glow and scream.

Outside the shop, at the tables, Hana was downing her lemon meringue pie like there was no tomorrow while Sakuranbo was eating her cherry chocolates slowly.

"You really like those chocolates, don't you?" Hana asked.

"Yes," Sakuranbo said. "Your point?"

"Why not stop with the chocolate and love some lemon?" Hana said, as she took a piece of her pie and gave it to Sakuranbo.

"Please, I don't like lemons that much. I prefer these chocolates, because the sweetness of the chocolate pairs perfectly with he tartness of the cherries." Sakuranbo said, pushing the pie back, and popping the chocolate into her mouth.

"Suit yourself. I could come here for the lemon meringue pie every day, but not only do I have a budget to keep with my allowance, but I also have soccer practices." Hana said, as she ate another bite of her pie piece.

"You like lemon meringue pie that much?" Sakuranbo asked.

"I sure do! I grew up on lemons and lemon sweets, so this is a delicious piece of pleasant nostalgia!" Hana said.

"For someone with such lackluster grades, you sure have a good vocabulary." Sakuranbo commented.

"Just because my grades are bad doesn't mean I'm not smart. Well, maybe… but you heard me; I have a good vocabulary." Hana said.

"I'm surprised that you're failing English…" Sakuranbo muttered.

"Yeah, it's not that I'm stupid; I just have a hard time focusing in classes and I'm so concentrated on my soccer that I don't study." Hana confessed.

"But I'm still tutoring you, regardless," Sakuranbo said. "So as long as I'm your tutor, you're going to have to listen to me, is that okay?"

"It's clear!" Hana said, as he ate the last of her pie piece in one bite.

'_Such gluttony… I'm surprised my ribbon was beeping with her around.' _Sakuranbo thought.

However, her ribbon began beeping again, and this time, Sakuranbo saw the Virulenter that had released the parasite fly right by, and then she had to find a way to make an excuse to get out.

'_Aha! There __was__ a Virtulenter nearby! In fact, Hana-san and I were almost right next to it. I guess that also explains why it was beeping at the school; it must have been close, too. I can't believe I thought it was reacting to Hana-san.' _Sakuranbo said, as she looked at the Virulenter, as it flew off.

Sakuranbo then stood up, but Hana said, "What are you doing?"

"Oh, um, I just remembered that my parents need me home early today! I need to go! Meet me tomorrow in class for some more tutoring, okay?" Sakuranbo said, as she ate the last of her chocolates and then ran off.

"Hold on!" Hana said, but it was too late for her to catch up. However, she did her best to follow her tutor, regardless of what she was about to see.

Sakuranbo followed the signal her ribbon was emitting; she had learned that the louder it beeped, the closer it got.

"Okay, it's coming from this direction," Sakuranbo said, as she then followed her ribbon down the alleyway she had noticed. "This way."

Sakuranbo soon heard screaming, and then she came out of the alleyway to find several townsfolk running away from something. She soon looked and saw why: a giant, monster cat was rampaging. It had long fangs like a saber-tooth, its tail was like that of a pitchfork and then it was a green cat with black stripes.

'_First a rampant rose, now a volatile cat? What's next?' _Sakuranbo thought.

"Hey, you overgrown kitten!" Sakuranbo shouted, getting the Fungusite's attention.

Hana, who had followed Sakuranbo, came across the scene and then saw Sakuranbo confronting the Fungusite.

"What is she doing?" Hana inquired to herself, but she was about to be in for the scene of her life.

Sakuranbo then put her confection ring on, raised her hand up to the air, and then she declared, _"__Confection Ring: Transmogrification!"_

A large, pink, green-stemmed cherry appeared in the air and then Sakuranbo appeared in front of it. Pink light swirled around her body and then her hair magically turned pastel pink, which grew longer before being tied up into a ponytail that was tied up with a ribbon, and a pink beret with a large, red cherry on top appeared on her head. Her eyes turned light pink, and then she smiled with a wink, causing her glasses to vanish. The pink light around her body disappeared to reveal a strapless, pink, tutu-like dress with a skirt that was double-layered with top layer being light pink, with the lower layer being cherry-pink fabric, which went down to knee-height. Her top was strapless, and went just below her neckline, and the top's design consisted of a cherry that had been dipped in chocolate, while the rest of the top was a dark pink color. After doing some ballet twirls, she raised her arms in the air, and elbow-long, dark pink gloves with pink frills on the ends appeared on her arms after magic wrapped around her arms like ribbons. She then did an arabesque, which caused high-heel, knee-high combat boots that had pointed toes, as well as being dark pink to appear on her feet. After doing a jump and landing on one foot, she did a pirouette and raised her arms up to pose.

"I don't believe this! Sakuranbo-san is…" Hana said, really surprised to see something like she had just witnessed.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then did a pirouette before plié-ing and then she lifted her arms in the air to summon her fans.

She then used them to fly into the air and then she soared way above the cat.

'_What the heck?! What is she doing?! And where have I seen her before?' _Hana thought, in shock.

The giant cat rose upon its hind legs, and then swiped its paws at Cherry Blossom Chocolate, thus knocking her out of the air, and causing her to fall to the ground, creating a large crater in the pavement.

"Sakuranbo-san!" Hana shouted.

However, Cherry Blossom Chocolate used her fans to fly up and out of the pavement with a strong wind and then she started flapping them at a high speed before zooming right towards the cat.

However, the monster cat soon lengthened its claws and then slashed at Cherry Blossom Chocolate, who swiftly dodged, and used one of her fans as a shield to defend herself from the sharp claws while using the other one to keep her airborne.

"How can this be? I didn't think she was some kind of warrior!" Hana said.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then landed back on the ground, using her fans to slow her descent, and then landed while her feet were in second position, and then she a spinning arabesque to dodge the cat's tail, which she failed in doing, and was knocked back into a wall.

"Sakuranbo-san!" Hana shouted.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then saw Hana looking at her in shock, and she thought, _'What?! How did she find out?! Did she see me transform or something?! What am I going to do? Play dumb?' _

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then formed a boomerang with one of her fans, while the other one grew twice its size to support her weight. She flapped her fan really quickly while flying, and then she threw her boomerang towards the cat's face, which landed a successful hit, and then it returned to Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"Alright, you saber-tooth tiger, let's see if you can catch a cherry hummingbird like _ME!_" Cherry Blossom Chocolate shouted, as she then used her fans to fly down and around the cat, causing it to chase its tail and yowl, meow, and growl all the while trying to catch Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"Why is she being so reckless?!" Hana said, in askance.

Cherry Blossom managed to get out of the cat's reach in time, only for the claws to be headed for Hana.

"Wa… _AHH!_" Hana screamed.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then flew down and used her fans to form a shield, which blocked the cat's claws from her. Once it lifted its paw away, Cherry Blossom Chocolate glared at it.

"Sakuranbo-san, what is all of this?" Hana asked.

Cherry Blossom did not answer and then she merely used her fans to fly again, but the wind blew in Hana's face, and she shook it off for a second, looking at her tutor in shock.

'_Okay, I was able to take down that rose monster yesterday because I cut through the stem, but doing that to a cat? I can't do that! There has to be another way.' _Cherry Blossom Chocolate thought, as she flew around like a bee, trying to avoid attacks from the cat and thinking of a plan at the same time.

She saw how long the cat's claws were, and then she had an idea. Using her fans to fly her close to the cat's paw, she turned one of her fans into a fighting sword and then she swiped at the cat's claws, thus cutting them down so they were not as sharp. This was apparently the key to changing the cat back; as the claws fell to the ground, they turned back to normal size and just fell on the ground like toothpicks while the cat glowed pink with energy, before shrinking back to size and then running to Hana's side, having turned back to normal.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then landed with a pirouette and plié-ed before standing normally.

"Good, the cat's back to normal," Cherry Blossom Chocolate said. "But you…"

Hana stood up with a serious look on her face, while holding the cat, and said, "Sakuranbo-san…?"

Cherry Blossom Chocolate's eyes widened at being called by her real name, but she merely used her fans to fly off into the sky before saying, "Take good care of that kitten! And try not to stand around in danger next time!"

Hana merely looked up to the sky in astonishment, as she had could have sworn her tutor was the one who took down the monster.

* * *

A few minutes later, Sakuranbo had changed back from Cherry Blossom chocolate and was talking to Eichi and Rikiya in the back of the sweets shop to talk about the incident.

"I'm telling you, Hana-san called me 'Sakuranbo' while I was in Sugar Girl form!" Sakuranbo said, as Eichi was making some more cakes while Rikiya was typing more data into his computer.

"Are you sure?" Eichi asked.

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have brought it up!" Sakuranbo barked.

"You're right," Rikiya said. "You'll have to check up on her."

"You mean try and find out if she might be a Sugar Girl, too?" Sakuranbo inquired.

"Right," Rikiya said. "You catch on fast."

"Thanks, but I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult with that tone of voice, Rikiya-san." Sakuranbo said, crossing her arms and then huffing.

"We'll see you tomorrow after school. Try and act natural around Hana-chan and if she still suspects something, play dumb, and don't let slip any details of what you witnessed." Eichi said.

"Thanks, Eichi-san," Sakuranbo said. "See you tomorrow."

* * *

The next day at school, Sakuranbo was getting ready to tutor Hana once more, when her student came in, with a serious look on her face.

"Ah, Hana-san, ready to get to work?" Sakuranbo said.

"Before that…" Hana said, as she set her bag down. "You're a super heroine, aren't you?"

_'Snap. She's on to me.' _Sakuranbo thought. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you yesterday. You transformed into some kind of fighting ballerina and fought off some monstrous cat." Hana said.

Sakuranbo just laughed, albeit it was fake, and then she said, "Just how much shojo manga do you read? You must have had some kind of bad dream last night."

"Don't play dumb," Hana said. "I saw everything. The dancing, the ring, the cat, the fans, the sword, and I mean _everything_. Now, tell me: what were you doing?"

Sakuranbo then laughed nervously, and then she said, "You must have either gotten lazy with the studies and read shojo manga instead, or you've been studying _too_ hard and started having bad dreams."

'_Playing dumb, huh?' _Hana thought. "Cherry Blossom Chocolate, or Ayuzawa Sakuranbo? Who _are_ you?"

"I'm Ayuzawa Sakuranbo, who else? And what do you mean by 'Cherry Blossom Chocolate'? Who is that?" Sakuranbo said.

"Please, don't play dumb; I saw the whole thing. If you're going to lie to me, do a better job of it." Hana said, disappointedly.

"…Okay, you win. Yes, everything you saw yesterday was real. And you're right: _I_, Sakuranbo Ayuzawa, am Cherry Blossom Chocolate." Sakuranbo confessed.

"I knew it!" Hana said, as she took Sakuranbo's hands, with a sparkle in her eyes. "I read about that rose monster attack in the newspaper yesterday morning, and after seeing you as the one who stopped it and yesterday's monster cat, I feel like I'm talking to a celebrity!"

"Okay, but keep this quiet, okay? We have work to do, and I mean in Social Studies." Sakuranbo said, changing the subject.

"Right," Hana said, slumping her shoulders. "Time for studying."

"Okay, now, in 1920's America, there was a clash of cultures, such as people spending their money recklessly as opposed to saving it and spending on the stuff they need. And some people thought immigration was a threat to tradition, and this group was called the KKK. What does that acronym stand for?" Sakuranbo said.

"The Ku Klux Klan, is that right?" Hana said.

"Good! You're really getting it. Now, another reason immigrants were discriminated was because the government suspected them of what government type?" Sakuranbo said.

"Communism?" Hana asked.

"Right. Most of the time the people who were deported or put on trial weren't even communists." Sakuranbo said.

"You would think Americans would be a little less suspicious." Hana said.

"Maybe…" Sakuranbo said, and then continued with the lesson.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the ship from where the Virulenters were being sent, the boy on the throne was pacing around, wondering what he was going to do next.

"That girl seems to be smarter than she looks, as well as kinder. She could have just done away with that cat, but instead, she did away with the claws. I'm going to have to conjure up another Fungusite so powerful that she'll be in over her head." He said, as he sat back down while looking at a picture of Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"I'm surprised; last I read, these humans are indeed a very cruel species." Another alien boy said.

He had purple eyes with literal red hair and the same features in skin, nails, and teeth, only he seemed to have a more sensitive look.

"That book has gotten you thinking the strangest things," The boy on the throne said. "We need to take over this planet in order to assert our dominance."

"Sire…"

* * *

Later, at _Satō Ai_, Sakuranbo informed Eichi and Rikiya of what had taken place. Hana was there, too, and she bought an entire pie with the money she got as her allowance.

"So, she knows what's going on?" Eichi asked.

"Yes, but it's not like I unveiled it to her deliberately; she somehow found out on her own. She saw me transform when I fought that cat yesterday." Sakuranbo said, in her defense.

"As long as she keeps the secret, I don't see a problem with letting her in on it, but…" Rikiya began.

"What is it, Rikiya-san?" Sakuranbo said.

"That Hana… She's been coming in here every day to buy our lemon meringue pie, either a slice or an entire pie. Doesn't that jump out at you?" Rikiya said.

"I have noticed that," Eichi said. "I feel as though she might be one of us."

"Who knows? I have to check to see if there's a lemon mark or something somewhere on her body." Sakuranbo whispered.

"Don't ask her about it; she might think you're crazy." Rikiya said, teasingly.

Sakuranbo merely rolled her eyes and then she went to sit down with Hana.

Meanwhile, the alien prince seemed to find a likely monster to create: he found a sewage treatment plant and then used his Virulenter. He sent the disc to release its virulent organisms into the untreated sewage. It glowed for a second, and then the chemical and molecular structure of the sewage was altered.

Meanwhile, Hana and Sakuranbo were walking home together, and they were talking and having a good time, but as they were nearing the sewage plant, Sakuranbo's ribbon started beeping again.

She stopped in her tracks and then listened for the signal. Hana then looked at her friend and said, "Is something wrong?"

"That's my ribbon. It has a sensor that detects any Virulenters or Fungusites within two miles. The louder the noise gets, the closer we are." Sakuranbo explained.

"I guess that means there's another Virulenter on the attack?" Hana said.

"Yes, which means I've got to go," Sakuranbo said. "Sorry."

"I'm coming with you. I'll stay in a safe area, but I will want to see this." Hana said.

"Fine, but remember: if the Fungusite gets too close to you, run." Sakuranbo said.

"Right." Hana said.

Using her ribbon's signal as a guide, Sakuranbo looked for the place to start looking. Hearing the beeping at its loudest, she followed the signal, with Hana following her.

"Where are we going?" Hana asked.

"To wherever the signal is telling us to." Sakuranbo said.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Hana said.

"Like I said, the beeping gets louder whenever we get closer to the Fungusite and whenever there is more than one path to take, I usually go down the path that has the loudest reading on the ribbon." Sakuranbo said, as she and Hana kept running through the streets to find the Fungusite.

They stopped at a four-way intersection, and then Sakuranbo used her ribbon to detect where the reading was the strongest. The reading was at its peak from their left.

"This way!" Sakuranbo said, as she and Hana went left to find the monster.

However, they stopped when they smelled something _really_ bad.

"Ugh, what stinks?" Sakuranbo said, covering her mouth and nose.

"Smells like untreated sewage to me." Hana said, also covering her mouth and nose.

There were a few rumbles and then the ground shook a few times, causing the girls to stumble a bit.

"You might not be far off," Sakuranbo said. "LOOK!"

Then, a giant monster that was made of untreated sewage with arms, and a monstrous face, as well as a horrid smell, then rose up above the buildings that were nearby.

"See what I mean?" Sakuranbo said.

"You know what to do!" Hana said.

"Right." Sakuranbo said.

Sakuranbo then put her confection ring on, raised her hand up to the air, and then she declared, _"__Confection Ring: Transmogrification!"_

A large, pink, green-stemmed cherry appeared in the air and then Sakuranbo appeared in front of it. Pink light swirled around her body and then her hair magically turned pastel pink, which grew longer before being tied up into a ponytail that was tied up with a ribbon, and a pink beret with a large, red cherry on top appeared on her head. Her eyes turned light pink, and then she smiled with a wink, causing her glasses to vanish. The pink light around her body disappeared to reveal a strapless, pink, tutu-like dress with a skirt that was double-layered with top layer being light pink, with the lower layer being cherry-pink fabric, which went down to knee-height. Her top was strapless, and went just below her neckline, and the top's design consisted of a cherry that had been dipped in chocolate, while the rest of the top was a dark pink color. After doing some ballet twirls, she raised her arms in the air, and elbow-long, dark pink gloves with pink frills on the ends appeared on her arms after magic wrapped around her arms like ribbons. She then did an arabesque, which caused high-heel, knee-high combat boots that had pointed toes, as well as being dark pink to appear on her feet. After doing a jump and landing on one foot, she did a pirouette and raised her arms up to pose.

"Go get it, Cherry Blossom Chocolate!" Hana said.

"Don't even think of playing fan girl here! This is dangerous!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"Sorry…" Hana said.

'_Okay, this monster is not only large, but it stinks. I can use my fans to blow any stink away as well as use them to fly as usual. I also need to figure out where the strongest source of energy is so that way I can stop it and destroy the monster.' _Cherry Blossom Chocolate thought.

The monster roared and then it fired a sewage ball from its mouth at Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

Turning green in the face for a second, she summoned her fans and started flapping them to generate a large wind to blow the sludge away.

Hana, meanwhile, was on the verge of throwing up at the smell.

"Hold your ground, Hana!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"I'll try!" She said.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then flew up into the air, using her fans, and then she stayed in the air for a long period of time.

She held her breath and then she saw that the stomach of the monster was jiggling; she knew that this was bad news: he was about to cough up more sewage.

The monster then coughed up a large ball of sewage, and then Cherry Blossom Chocolate used her fans as shields, only to have her fall from the impact of the sludge. She landed on the pavement, but managed to get up. However, she was dizzy and her stomach was aching like crazy.

"Cherry Blossom Chocolate, are you okay?" Hana asked.

"Don't worry about me," Cherry Blossom said, as she managed to get herself in a stable standing position. "Just be on the lookout for danger."

The monster then roared once more, and started blowing sewage all over. Cherry Blossom Chocolate managed to turn her fans into a shield long enough for the sewage to stay away from her, but she shook off the leftover muck in disgust.

"This is just wrong…" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

She turned her fans into swords, only for the monster to shoot the sewage down on her, barely missing, and knocking her into a wall.

Having hit her head, she got dizzy, and then she had a hard time getting up.

The monster was about to shoot another sludge bomb at Cherry Blossom Chocolate, but as she tried to get up, the monster fired it, and it was heading right at her.

Hana, seeing her friend and tutor in dire need, she leaped in front of Cherry Blossom Chocolate, and shouted, "NO!"

Getting hit in the stomach, Hana then fell to her knees and lowered her head.

"Hana-san!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate shouted, as she got up, and ran to her friend's aid. "What did you do that for?"

"I don't know; I acted on impulse… The truth is, I saw how deep in trouble you were, so I intervened to keep you safe…" Hana said, as she suffered from the pain.

"That was reckless of you! How could… Huh?" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she then noticed something.

She saw a yellow lemon-shaped marking on the back of Hana's neck, and then she gasped.

"What is it?" Hana asked.

"Did you know that you have a lemon-shaped marking on the back of your neck?" Cherry Blossom Chocolate inquired.

"No, I didn't. Do I really have one?" Hana asked.

"Yes, you do! This means you're a Sugar Girl, too!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"But how can I be a Sugar Girl? I can't transform like you." Hana said.

"You can, now!" A voice said, and then both girls turned to see Eichi and Rikiya run up to them.

"Good work, Cherry-chan," Eichi said. "You found one of your teammates."

"Here," Rikiya said, simply tossing Hana a Confection Ring. It was like Cherry Blossom Chocolate's, only hers had a lemon on it. "Just follow your instincts."

"Okay!" Hana said, as she put the ring on, and smiled. "_Confection Ring: Transmogrification!_"

A lemon symbol appeared in the air and Hana appeared in front of it. Her hair then shortened and straightened out, and her eyes went from blue to golden-brown with a blink. Spinning around, her hair was tied in a bun with a large, yellow ribbon, and then light spiraled around her, thus giving her the top of her outfit; a strapped, yellow top with layers of yellow, white, and cream-colored fabric. Her skirt then appeared, with the same color pattern, and only this time, it was slightly shorter than Cherry Blossom Chocolates. Rather than ballet shoes, Hana then gained soccer boots in deep yellow with white lace stockings and they also had ribbon. Her hair ribbon then gained an accessory that resembled a lemon slice on top of a meringue. Kicking in the air, as if she were to score a goal, she posed in a soccer position, ready for a game, and then she smiled with a wink.

Landing next to Cherry Blossom Chocolate, she smiled, and said, "Shall we?"

"Let's!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

The girls then got into a pose, and said, _"Sugar's sweet, sugar's nice, but we're full of passion and spice!"_

"_I am the Angel of Cherries! I'm a prima ballerina! I am Cherry Blossom Chocolate!"_ Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, getting into a pose.

"_I'm the Goddess of Lemons, I'm a Soccer Queen, I am Lemon Meringue Pie!"_ Hana said.

"'Lemon Meringue Pie'? That figures, since you love lemon meringue pie." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

Lemon Meringue Pie then raised her hand; a yellow tambourine with a lemon slice on one side then appeared, and she inquired, "A tambourine? What can I do with this, I wonder?"

"Try using it for something unorthodox; in my case, my fans can help me fly, change into a shield, or swords at any time. Let's see what you can do." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

The tambourine then grew in size, and then Lemon shook it gently, generating a very loud noise, causing Cherry to cover her ears and duck.

"Oops, sorry." Lemon said.

"That's fine; you're just getting started." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

However, the monster started to flee and spit sewage everywhere.

"We've got to move! Lemon, do you think that you can use that tambourine to generate a sound wave loud enough to stun the monster long enough for the both of us to take it down?" Cherry said.

"I'm on it! You might want to cover your ears, or get out of the way; maybe both…" Lemon said, readying her tambourine.

"Right!" Cherry said, as she started to fly, using her fans.

Lemon enlarged her tambourine, and she started to shake it very loudly. A large sound wave tube then formed and it blasted itself at the monster, just barely missing Cherry Blossom, who was covering her ears and trying to keep herself airborne.

The monster roared and it was then stunned by the noise.

"Nice work, Lemon! Now, let's take this thing down!" Cherry said.

"You got it, Cherry! I might not be able to fly, but I can at least jump." Lemon said, as she jumped very high and landed on the rooftop nearby Cherry.

Cherry used her fans, turned them into swords, and then she flew at the monster with them. Meanwhile, Lemon started to dance with her tambourine, causing her to glow yellow, and then she jumped, and kicked the monster while Cherry Blossom then sliced the monster with her swords and the sewage just fell on the ground with each cut.

Lemon then landed back on the roof, and then said to her friend, "I don't think this stench will be pleasant when this is over… And I highly doubt any air fresheners will do the job. So, what do we do?"

"I don't know… Rikiya, is there any way to use our powers to freshen the air?" Cherry said.

"Don't worry, we kept that in mind in case we had to go up against more smelly monsters. Remember: use your instincts." Rikiya said.

"Right." Lemon and Cherry said.

The girls raised their weapons to the air, and started to spin their hands.

"Extract of cherries, Scent of The Sakura!" Cherry Blossom said, generating a pink wind.

"Extract of lemons, Scent of Citrus!" Lemon Meringue said, as she generated a yellow wind.

"_Two Fruit Scents! Lemon and Cherry!"_ Cherry and Lemon said together, as they combined their winds together and then it wafted over the scene, eliminating all traces of the monster, including the stink, and they accomplished their goal.

They then landed on the ground and looked at each other.

"Looks like you have more to do than just study with me. You also have to work at the confectionary and help me find the other two Sugar Girls." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"I can't wait, Cherry." Lemon said, as she hugged Cherry.

The two girls then changed back and smiled at their friends.

"Good work, you two. Just half of the team is left and we intend on finding them." Rikiya said.

Meanwhile…

"I TOLD YOU we should have destroyed her before she got allies; now look!" The alien prince's cohort said.

"Now, now… I find this 'Cherry Blossom Chocolate' _very_ intriguing…" He said, as he smirked.

Rolling his eyes, the Prince's companion just walked away.

Meanwhile, back at _Satou Ai_, Rikiya and Eichi were going over the basics with Hana much the way they had with Sakuranbo while the girls were enjoying their favorite treats before being dismissed to return home.

"I wonder who else we'll meet that's going to become part of our team" pondered Hana.

"I don't know, but you've got a test to study for tomorrow, so we'd best get a move on" Sakuranbo replied and the two girls took off running for Hana's home to study.

* * *

**That took a little longer than I had hoped, but better that then not at all. Ready for the next chapter?**

**Next time, Sakuranbo again gets asked out by the Student Council President, only this time, she has no time to reply when there's another Sugar Girl to look for as well as more Fungusite attacks to deal with. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hana and Sakuranbo are taking the initiative when they have to find the rest of the Sugar Girls, but their mission gets hindered when the Student Council President again asks Sakuranbo out. Only trouble is, she can't reply when she has more Fungusites to fight and other Sugar Girls to find. She also gets the surprise of her life in this chapter!**

* * *

_Sakuranbo And The Student Body President!_

It was a Sunday morning at _Satou Ai_ where Hana and Sakuranbo were helping in the kitchen while talking about what to do next for their mission.

"I know we need to find our teammates, but we can handle things on our own for the time being." Hana said.

"I understand, but the more the merrier, right?" Sakuranbo said. "Besides, sooner or later those aliens will show themselves, and we need all the help we can get."

Sakuranbo was learning the recipe for the cherry chocolate's centers, which she was thrilled to learn how to do.

"Are you sure?" Hana asked, making lemon curd for her favorite pies. "We've managed to hold our own so far."

"That's just it: 'so far'. That doesn't mean we won't be in a pinch later. So, while we're ahead, we can't quit, so we need to find the other Sugar Girls and quick." Sakuranbo said.

"You're right…" Hana said.

However, Sakuranbo soon caught sight of the heart-shaped cookie cutter, and then she blushed with uncertainty in her face.

'_Oh, man… I'm having a flashback of THEN…'_ Sakuranbo thought, her face heating up. She then dropped the spoon she was holding and then put her hands on her cheeks.

Hana seemed to notice this and then she noticed the redness of her face. Hana smirked and then she got cocky with her smile. However, noticing the look in her best friend's eyes, she stopped smirking and looked at Sakuranbo in concern.

"Sakuranbo, what's the matter? Do you have a fever or something?" Hana asked her.

"No, I'm okay…" Sakuranbo said, really worried her heart would explode from the memory. _'President Matsubara…' _

Sakuranbo picked up the heart-shaped cookie cutter and then she looked at the floor for a second. She then shook her head, but could not suppress the memory that was about to come to her.

'_No… Sakuranbo, don't remember about THAT!' _She thought, trying to keep her from having memory relapses. Too late…

_~Flashback~_

She soon met the student council president, a handsome, young man, with dark, disheveled hair, and bright eyes. He looked at Sakuranbo with a shine in his eyes and then he was blushing at the sight of her.

"President Matsubara, is there something I can do for you?" Sakuranbo said, a tad worried about what he wanted from her.

"Sakura- no, Ayuzawa-san…" He said. "I've… had my eyes on you for quite a long time."

"Eh?" Sakuranbo muttered.

"I admire how strict you are at studying, never taking time to goof around, and always keeping your priorities straight." He said, as he approached Sakuranbo.

"Um… Thank you." Sakuranbo said.

Matsubara then took Sakuranbo's hand and then he said, "_I like you. Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?_"

Sakuranbo, really shocked at this, gently took her hand away from Matsubara and then she quietly said, "I'm afraid I can't do that. If I have a boyfriend, I won't be able to keep my life on track."

"What?" Matsubara said. "You're turning me down?"

"I'm afraid so, but thank you for sharing your feelings for me." Sakuranbo said, as she then ran off to her next class.

_~End of Flashback~_

"MOU~! Why did _THAT_ memory have to show up _RIGHT NOW_ of all times?! Am I loopy or something?!" Sakuranbo shouted, as she kept whipping the cherry chocolates' centers, albeit taking out her frustration at the same time.

"What memory? Are you sure you're alright?" Hana asked, as she took the pie shells out of the oven to cool for a little while. She set them down on a cooling rack and then she crossed her arms in concern for her friend. Obviously, Hana had a hunch that Sakuranbo was in denial.

"Yes, Hana, I'm okay! And I thought I told you that it was nothing!" Sakuranbo barked back. She then turned away to hide her red face. "Can't you believe me about something like that? Honestly…"

"No, I know the redness of the cheeks and denial; you're thinking about some boy, aren't you?" Hana asked.

Sakuranbo then dropped her head, as she then said, "You got me… Before I became a Sugar Girl, I got a confession."

"You DID?" Hana said. "Who was it?! Come on, spill, who was it?!"

"Would you believe me if I told you that it was the Student Council President?" Sakuranbo inquired of her friend.

"_WHAT?!_ President Matsubara?!" Hana said.

"Yes, I know; I can't believe he'd confess to me. In fact, I had no idea he had eyes for me." Sakuranbo admitted.

"I'm surprised that you didn't notice," Hana said. "There have been rumors spreading about school since the eighth grade about the Student Council President being in love with you."

"For that long?" Sakuranbo said. _'Now that I think about it, the Student Council President and I __have__ been in the same classes every single year since we were Junior High together. From grade 7 to now, we've been in the same classes'_

"So, how'd you reply? How?" Hana said, getting nosy.

"I said 'no', of course! I have to concentrate on my studies, as well as my Sugar Girl responsibilities. Having a boyfriend will cause complications because living a double life is hard enough; if I ever get myself a boyfriend, my head will be in a tizzy, being all worried about what he might think of me if he found out." Sakuranbo said.

"Are you sure that was it?" Hana said. "You seem to be all about studies and never finding love."

"My love life can wait until after high school is done," Sakuranbo said. "And besides, _WE HAVE WORK TO DO!_"

"Okay, okay…" Hana said, trying to placate her friend.

The girls went back to making confections for the shop, and they were doing well, but the tension in the room was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.

* * *

The next day at school, every girl was fawning over someone who was walking in the halls: it was Student Council President Matsubara, and he was not only walking down the hallways, not paying any mind to the girls, but he was also blushing and his head seemed to be up in the clouds.

"Oi, Makoto," One of the other Student Council members said, approaching. "Ohayo."

"Ohayo, Sohma…" Matsubara said, addressing his friend.

"Still perseverating on Ayuzawa rejecting you?" Sohma asked.

"Right," Matsubara said. "I still can't believe it…"

"You like her, don't you?" Sohma said, half-teasing, but mostly serious.

"Yes," Matsubara said. "With all of the confessions I normally get from other girls, being shot down sort of caught me off-guard."

"I can imagine," Sohma said. "But maybe you could try telling her again and see how it goes?"

"Good idea." Matsubara said. "It's lucky that she and I are in the same class. I also know her locker number, too."

In the school gardens, where some of the girls were working on the flowers and plants in the soil, there was a stray honeybee in one of the flowers. A Virulenter, which was scouting the area, zeroed in on the bee, confirming it a good target for infection.

Back on the aliens' ship, the prince of the aliens was looking at the bee, and doing biological scans of it.

"This should be perfect for the next Fungusite." He said.

"Prince Anise Black Licorice…" A boy around his age said.

"How many times have I told you to call me "Prince Licorice"?! Now what is it?" The Prince, named Licorice said.

"Three times in a row, those girls have outsmarted us. What makes you think that they will fare any worse this time?" He said.

"You're merely a page, Malt Vinegar Cider!" Licorice said, as he got off of his throne. "Questioning my actions is unwise."

"Yes, Sire…" Cider said, as he looked downcast to the floor. "I also have noticed you seem to have taken a liking to that Cherry Blossom Chocolate girl."

Licorice blushed, and then he said, "Cider, stop this, now!"

Licorice then typed something up on the computer and then pressed a single button before the Virulenter released some of its infusing energy. It was then turned into liquid, and put in the nectar of the flower, where the bee was. The bee unintentionally drank it, thus infecting it. The bee flashed green for a second, and then it went from black and yellow to orange and brown, and then it started dramatically growing in size.

"I mean no disrespect, your highness, but I do wish to inquire as to why you think this insect will end those girls." Cider said.

"Okay, the girls are based off of fruit, right? And fruit comes from flowers, which bees visit, right?" Licorice said.

"I get it! Then the bee will be attracted to their fruity scents." Cider said.

"Exactly! Now back to work!" Licorice said, as he kept typing things up on the computer.

"Now, my sweet cherry, you're going to be in for the fight of your life!" Licorice said, as Cherry Blossom Chocolate's reflection danced in his eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sakuranbo was walking through the halls on the next floor down while being looked at strangely by all of the girls in the school. She felt really strange about it, and Sakuranbo felt as if she were Belle from Disney's "Beauty and The Beast".

"Sakuranbo!" Hana said, snapping Sakuranbo out of her thoughts.

"Hana-san," Sakuranbo said, smiling. "Ready to work on your science?"

"Yep!" Hana said, with a smile. The girls then went to a classroom, where it was private, and they could talk alone.

"Okay, let's get down to business: SUGAR GIRL business." Hana said.

"So you brought me in here so we could talk about our mission in private?" Sakuranbo said.

"Alongside studying, yes," Hana said. "I think keeping our planet from being invaded is a higher priority right now."

"You're right," Sakuranbo said. "I guess I've just been a bit distracted."

"I know. There's one question I want to ask." Hana said.

"If it has anything to do with President Matsubara, then don't even ask." Sakuranbo said, crossly.

"Actually, it's about your ribbon," Hana said. "It detects presences of Fungusites and Virulenters, right?"

"What's the point?" Sakuranbo asked.

"Can't it also detect other Sugar Girls?" Hana asked.

"You're suggesting we just use my ribbon to find the other two Sugar Girls?" Sakuranbo asked.

"Well, can it?" Hana asked.

"I'm afraid not," Sakuranbo said. "Remember: the Sugar Girls are hinted at by female adolescent patrons at _Sato Ai_ that come almost daily, and order the exact same thing every time, having a strong liking for that item, and having an odd fruit-shaped mark on unusual parts of their body. For example, my favorite item at _Sato Ai _is their cherry crème chocolates, and I have a cherry marking on my leg, while you love _Sato Ai_'s lemon meringue pie, and have a yellow lemon-shaped mark on the back of your neck."

"Oh…" Hana said, not realizing how complex the situation was.

"So, we're on our own." Sakuranbo said.

"And there's no telling when those aliens are going to send out their next Fungusite," Hana said. "So what are supposed to do? Wait for your ribbon to beep while trying to find the other Sugar Girls?"

"Pretty much." Sakuranbo said, with a shrug.

* * *

Meanwhile, Matsubara was walking through the halls, and soon caught the scent of cherry perfume coming from the room Hana and Sakuranbo were hanging out in.

He put his ear to the door, and then overheard Hana and Sakuranbo talking chemistry.

"…Okay, so the higher the pH of the solution, the more basic it is; reversely, the _lower_ the pH of the solution, the more acidic it is. If the solution has a pH of seven, then it's a neutral base." Sakuranbo said, talking to Hana.

Matsubara then blushed as he thought of Sakuranbo. He knocked on the door, and then when the girls turned to the door, Sakuranbo said, "Come in."

Matsubara then opened the door, much to Sakuranbo's surprise, and then his face was redder than an apple; only Hana noticed this.

"Ayuzawa-san, do you have time to talk?" Matsubara said.

Sakuranbo then put on one of her more professional faces, and said, "Not right now; I'm tutoring a student at the moment. Maybe later."

"Okay… How about at lunch?" Matsubara said.

"That will be fine." Sakuranbo said, as she went back to tutoring Hana.

Matsubara then left the room, closing the door behind him, and then he sighed sadly, not being able to work up the courage to tell Sakuranbo how he felt.

"Man, you must be really nervous," Hana said. "It must be hard not to be able to reciprocate the feelings someone has for you."

"Maybe so, but this is the Student Body President we're talking about here," Sakuranbo said. "If he had the power to, he could blackmail me into going out with him. Not that he WOULD do anything like that."

"True." Hana said.

During class, Sakuranbo was working hard on her classwork, as usual, but she got shivers down her spine when she felt someone was looking at her; she turned around, and saw that President Matsubara was the one who was staring at her, instead of concentrating on his work.

'_With the President watching, I can't think about my work. Is he that desperate for my attention, or is he just distracted?'_ Sakuranbo thought, her mind drifting.

'_She must really dislike me; either that, or I make her nervous,' _Matsubara thought, as he was working. _'I'll tell her my true feelings during lunch break.'_

During lunch break, Sakuranbo was eating lunch in the classroom with Hana, and they both had their favorite _Sato Ai_ foods with their lunch.

"It must be really hard being crushed on by the most popular boy in school, Sakuranbo," Hana said. "Especially since that your reputation as the smartest, most academically achieved girl in school could be tarnished if you already shot him down."

"That's not helping, Hana," Sakuranbo said. "It's a bit of a pain with all of the other girls talking about me as if I was an enigma in society, and having a personality that is unexpected."

"I don't think you're personality is not what is expected of girls." A male voice said, as a hand reached out and stole one of Sakuranbo's chocolates.

"Hey, you give that…" Sakuranbo said, turning to the stranger, only to be freaked out when she saw that it was Matsubara. "_EH?!_ President Matsubara?"

"Ayuzawa-san," Matsubara said, as he took Sakuranbo's hand. "Can we talk in private, please?"

Sakuranbo gave Hana and unsure look, to which Sakuranbo merely motioned to the door with a nod.

Sakuranbo then nodded in response and then she left with Matsubara.

"I hope Sakuranbo gets along okay…" Hana said, as she went back to eating her pie.

"What's up, President Matsubara?" Sakuranbo asked.

"Um… You remember when I confessed to you?" Matsubara said.

Sakuranbo turned to stone for a second, shook herself off, and then she said, "Yes, I remember."

"Well… I'm serious about what I said, and there's no way I am giving up on you." Matsubara said.

"HUH?!" Sakuranbo said, in shock.

"What I'm trying to say is that I am _head-over-heels in love with you!_" Matsubara said, blushing hard.

He took Sakuranbo's hands and pulled them closer to his chest.

Sakuranbo's heart skipped a beat when she heard this, and then she said, "Um…"

"It all started during our Junior High School Entrance ceremony…" Makoto said.

_~Flashback – Four Years Ago~_

It was the Entrance Ceremony for the Junior High first-years, where everyone was in front of the school, listening to the representative for the class, Ayuzawa Sakuranbo, make the welcoming speech.

"There's a phrase in our world: 'to each his own', but in the world of school, everyone has the same goal: to be a student and work towards our dreams and making sure our grades are exceptional and that we never settle for anything less than progress." Sakuranbo said.

Young, twelve-year-old Makoto was in the crowd, watching Sakuranbo and listening intently to her speech. He had scored number two in the exam rankings, just under Sakuranbo. He was going red in the face, and his childhood buddy, Sohma, has noticed his demeanor.

"I wish everyone here a wonderful three years of our Junior High life! Study hard, make friends, and never give up your dreams!" Sakuranbo said, before bowing, and then leaving the stage.

Makoto then blushed as he saw Sakuranbo walk back to her seat.

_~End of Flashback~_

"Since then, I've been deeply in love with you." Makoto said, as he then hugged Sakuranbo, his hands on her back, wrapped around her.

"President… I don't know how…" Sakuranbo was about to reply, but…

"It's okay; you don't have to reply right away," Matsubara said. "I'm just trying to get my feelings across. However, I would be the happiest boy on earth if you would do me the honor of going out with me."

He then kissed the palm of his hand, and then put it on Sakuranbo's cheek, before leaving for the Student Council room.

Sakuranbo was at a loss for words on how to react, but her face steamed up like a pork bun.

* * *

She re-entered the room she was in with Hana, her hand on her cheek, her face redder than a cherry, which was what her name literally meant, and she was heating up at the sudden confession.

"I take it that he confessed again and you're in shock from it?" Hana asked.

"Yep…" Sakuranbo said, as she put her face down on the table.

"I'm serious; you should just go out with him." Hana said.

"But I have lots to think about! My academics, my ballet classes, and most importantly, keeping the planet safe from those aliens! I've no time for love!" Sakuranbo protested.

"Boy, you're stubborn." Hana said, as she ate her pie.

"Stubborn is one thing, but smart and good time management is another." Sakuranbo said.

"So…" Hana began, about to get on Sakuranbo's case again.

However, Sakuranbo's ribbon soon started going off.

The two girls looked at each other with fire in their eyes and then they left the room in a hurry.

"How can there be a Fungusite around _here_? If we have to transform in front of a crowd, there will be big trouble!" Sakuranbo said.

"No kidding," Hana said. "But where do we start?"

"How about up there?" Sakuranbo said, indicating the roof as she saw what looked like a giant bee outside and hovering over the school's flower garden while the garden club and other students began running for their lives.

The giant bee was orange with brown stripes, large, red eyes, a very long, sharp, barbed stinger, and its wings were buzzing like crazy.

Back on Licorice's ship, he was rolling around in laughter and then he said, "MAN, those girls are going to be in for a lot of pain."

"Sire, I still don't understand why you find this so amusing…" Cider said, face-palming himself.

"I find it amusing because that Cherry girl is just too entertaining when she fights!" Licorice said.

"Enough said…" Cider said, annoyed.

Back with the girls, the bee was closing in on them, and then the girls looked at each other, then nodded.

The girls then put on their rings, raised their hands to the air, and declared, _"Confection Ring: Transmogrification!"_

While Sakuranbo was doing some ballet dances as pink energy surrounded her to make her outfit, Lemon was doing some fancy soccer kicks as she was surrounded by yellow energy. Each girl had their feet surrounded by their colors as they kicked them to the sky, forming their shoes, and then as soon as the energy was gone, their hair and eyes were done changing, and they were all done transforming.

_"__I am the Angel of Cherries! I'm a Prima Ballerina! I am Cherry Blossom Chocolate!"_Sakuranbo shouted.

_"__I'm the Goddess of Lemons, I'm a Soccer Queen, I am Lemon Meringue Pie!"_ Hana said.

The girls then took each other's hand, and spun around on their feet before posing, and shouting, _"We're The Sugar Girls!"_

The bee suddenly turned and flew towards the two girls, causing them to dive out of the way to avoid being stung.

"Whoa, that was close!" Lemon Meringue Pie said to Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"No kidding...uh-oh, here it comes again!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate called out as the two girls ducked out of the way at the last second.

"Why is it after us all of a sudden?" Lemon Meringue Pie shouted.

"I think we're about to find out! Incoming!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate shouted, as she jumped out of the way, in time.

"What's causing it to go so crazy on us?" Lemon Meringue Pie inquired.

"Probably because we smell like cherries and lemons." Cherry Blossom Chocolate suggested, trying to catch her breath.

"Hey, who are _they?_" One of the gardener boys said.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Another girl said.

"Great, we have fans in the midst." Lemon Meringue said.

"Everyone, get to safety! We'll handle this bee, and we'll make sure no one gets hurt!" Cherry Blossom said.

Everyone then started fleeing to the back of the school, following Cherry's instructions.

Makoto was thinking about his beloved Sakuranbo, and then kept imagining her sweet, smiling face, only for his daydream to be interrupted by screams of horror and fear. He then left the student council room, and followed the screams, only to see the Sugar Girls confronting the Fungusite on the roof.

"What the heck is happening?" Makoto shouted, as he tried to get closer to the Sugar Girls, and the action.

However, he was held back for some reason. He looked at Cherry Blossom Chocolate from behind, and then he saw Sakuranbo overlapping her. He shook his head in disbelief, wondering if they were even the same person.

He stopped forward and then was about to say, "Hey, what are you…"

"Come on, Lemon Meringue Pie, we've got work to do!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, readying her fans.

"Right!" Lemon said, as she readied her tambourine.

'_Who are those two? Moreover, why are they here?'_ He asked himself.

"Alright, you bothersome bug! You might think we're sweet-scented, and you'd be right, but we pack a punch!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"Now it's time for YOU to face the Sugar Girls!" Lemon Meringue Pie said.

"Ready, Lemon?" Cherry said.

"You got it! Uh, oh! Look out!" Lemon shouted, as the bee then raised her stinger, and then she started to shoot poison barbs at them.

Makoto then ducked around the corner to defend himself, only to see that the girls were okay.

_'I don't know WHAT these two girls are doing here, but I will admit that they seem to know what they're doing.'_ Makoto said.

The girls jumped out of the way, and then Cherry took out her fans before taking to the skies and then getting eye-level with her opponent.

"Lemon Meringue Pie, cover me from the ground; I'll handle this from the sky!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said to her friend.

"You got it!" Lemon said, as she took out her tambourine.

'_Are they crazy?! They can't fight that thing on their own!'_ Makoto thought, in shock.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then started to spin around and she generated a high-speed wind that threw the bee off-balance.

The bee buzzed a lot louder, and the sound waves knocked her out of the sky, but she straightened herself out and flew up to the sky once again.

"You're going to have to do better than that to take me down!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said. "Lemon Meringue Pie, you're up!"

"Watch out, because Lemon's going to make some noise!" Lemon Meringue Pie shouted.

She then leaped up into the air, readied her tambourine, warning Cherry to put on her earmuffs, and then Lemon Meringue Pie hit the tambourine, causing a loud, sonic boom to occur and stun the bee for a long period of time.

Makoto covered his ears in agony as the racket rung out, but once the noise stopped, he shook his head, and then bonked it, trying to make sure the noise in his ears was gone.

"Man, that was loud…" Makoto said, as he shook his head.

He soon saw a disc on the ground, and then he looked at the bee for a second; an idea sparked in his mind and then he smirked, ready to take some action.

"Get it!" Lemon shouted.

"Right!" Cherry shouted, as she then flew at the be, turned her fans into swords, and then she was about to slash at it, but the bee recovered from the shock, and then shot one of its stingers at Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

She just made it in time to create her shield, only for her to fall down onto the roof of the building, hitting her back, thus rendering her immobile.

"No! Cherry Blossom Chocolate!" Lemon shouted, as she then ran to her partner's side.

Seeing the one girl down, the bee made a charge to attack and sting her, moving faster than Lemon Meringue Pie when a throwing discus flew in between them at the last second and thus blocking the bee's stinger from striking home. This, however, only angered the bee and now it turned its attention upon the one who threw the discus, and now Makoto was running back towards the school building in hopes of reaching it in time.

'_Man, I hope that bought those two some time…'_ Makoto thought.

Finally managing to get herself up, Cherry Blossom Chocolate took flight once again and soon collided, feet first, into the bee so that it could not try attacking her once again.

"Cherry Blossom Chocolate, are you okay?" Lemon Meringue Pie asked.

"I've been better," Cherry Blossom Chocolate admitted. "But who was the one who defended me earlier?"

"I think it was more like WHAT," Lemon Meringue Pie said, as she picked up a Frisbee on the ground. "Someone threw this Frisbee in the way."

"This shielding me from the attack! But who could have thrown it?" Cherry Blossom asked.

"Who was that?" Licorice demanded. "Who dares interfere with the Fungusites?"

"Other than those Sugar Girls, you mean?" Cider inquired.

"Yes!" Licorice shouted. "Who threw that thing in the way?!"

"I don't know…" Cider inquired.

The bee then grew angry and flew off in the direction of where the disc came from.

"Uh, oh! Whoever threw it is now on the verge of getting attacked by that thing!" Lemon Meringue Pie shouted.

"Let's get its attention again!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate shouted.

"Right!" Lemon Meringue Pie said.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then generated a high wind, and then she started flying at the bee. She flew in front of it, and started teasing it, and then it blew a raspberry at it before flying away. Upset, the bee took off after her.

On the flipside, Makoto had successfully found refuge in the school building and then he was running up the stairs to the roof.

'_I hope those girls are okay. But I wonder: where is Ayuzawa-san?'_ Makoto thought, as he was running up the stairs.

He soon made it to the roof, and saw the girls fighting the mutant bee like there was no tomorrow, and he hid in the doorway, so as to keep himself out of harm's way.

"This isn't working!" Lemon Meringue Pie said.

"At this rate, well never get an opening to get rid of the Virulenter inside the bee!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"We won't know if we don't try, right?" Lemon Meringue Pie said.

Lemon Meringue Pie then took out her tambourine, enlarged it, and then she started banging on it to amplify the sound to the monster. The bee reacted negatively, getting all confused and dizzy.

"Thanks!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she took out her fans, and then blew strong winds at the bee.

However, the bee recovered from it, and then it shot stingers at Cherry Blossom Chocolate, causing her to fly away to try escaping. She found herself in front of the wall, while behind her, the bee was too close to her for comfort.

"Um… Lemon Meringue Pie, _HELP!_" The Cherry Blossom Chocolate shouted.

'_Snap! That one girl is in serious trouble! What do I do?'_ Makoto thought, really shocked at the scene that was unfolding in front of his eyes.

"I'm on the way!" Lemon Meringue said, as she was about to run to the scene, but she was pushed back when one stinger was shot at her, just missing her by a hair.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate had her back against the wall and then she was scared out of her wits.

The bee held its stinger at the ready, towards Cherry Blossom Chocolate, and was about to sting her, when…

"_ABUNAI!_" Makoto shouted, as he leaped into the way, took the sting below his shoulder, and then he fell to the ground in pain. He held onto his arm in agony, before passing out.

"_WHAT?!"_ Licorice shouted, in shock. _"Who was that who interfered with the bee?!"_

"I don't know, but I think he was trying to protect the girls," Cider said. "Doesn't that make sense?"

"If he plans on trying to play hero, then yes." Licorice said, getting angry.

"_NO!"_ Cherry Blossom Chocolate hollered, seeing Makoto on the ground. She then ran to his side, and gently turned him over so she could see his face, being careful not to touch the wound.

"Someone get him some ice! Toothpaste, too!" Lemon Meringue Pie shouted, as she was scuttling back and forth in panic.

"We'll handle that later!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate shouted, noticing the bee heading towards them once more. "We've got a bee to squish!"

"Let's do it!" Lemon Meringue Pie said, in determination.

"I'll be back for you later." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she gently laid Makoto down.

His eyes just barely open, Makoto caught a slight glimpse of Cherry Blossom Chocolate, but then he passed out once more.

"How about a combination attack?" Lemon suggested. "You turn your fans into swords and try to cut the bee's wings while I stun the bee with my tambourine noise?"

"Good idea, but I don't think that will work," Cherry Blossom Chocolate said. "I'll fly up with my fans and distract the bee, then you try to stop it with the tambourine's sonic booms. Then while you make music to distract the bee, I'll cut off its stinger."

"Why the stinger?" Lemon Meringue Pie suggested.

"Because that's where the evil energy is at its strongest." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she indicated the stinger, which was pitch black.

"I get it! That's where the Virulenter is! Separate the Virulenter from the rest of the bee…" Lemon Meringue Pie said.

"And then the bee goes back to normal! Let's do it!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

She then used her fans to fly up to the bee, and then she started flying around it in circles to confuse and distract it. As she was doing so, she then smiled and winked at Lemon Meringue Pie, and said, "Get ready, Lemon Meringue Pie!"

"I'm on it!" Lemon Meringue Pie said, as she enlarged her tambourine and prepared to hit it. "I'm going to make some noise!"

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then flew out of the way as the bee was about to sting, and then Lemon Meringue Pie hit the tambourine, causing the sound barrier to break. A sonic boom was then shot at the bee, and once it hit, the bee was stunned, and dizzy.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate, taking her cue, then turned her fans into swords, and then she flew at the stinger, slashed her sword at it, and then it cut the stinger clean off, causing it to fall to the ground.

The bee then turned back to normal, but it fell to the ground, dead.

"Well, at least that's over with." Lemon Meringue Pie said, as Cherry Blossom Chocolate landed next to her.

"Yes," Cherry Blossom Chocolate said; she then remembered Makoto. "NO! President Matsubara!"

She immediately ran to his side, only to see the wound start to swell heavily.

"I'll get some ice and toothpaste!" Lemon Meringue Pie said, as she then ran inside the school.

* * *

A few minutes later, Makoto then woke up to the cold sensation of the ice being pressed against his bee sting. He then looked at Cherry Blossom Chocolate, who was tending to his wounds.

"Are you okay?" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

Makoto blushed, as she saw Cherry Blossom Chocolate's stunning beauty and her kind aura. He felt his heart accelerate, but he was not sure whether it was from the bee sting or something else.

"You gave us quite a scare," Lemon said, as she began applying toothpaste to the wound. "That was really reckless of you to jump in the way of the sting like that."

"I couldn't stand to see you get hurt." Makoto said, although it was more directed to Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"You really shouldn't do that," Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, kindly. "Because we know what we're doing, and you don't know what you're up against."

"Maybe I don't." Makoto said. _'Now that I get a good look at her, not only is she gorgeous, but she also resembles Ayuzawa-san.'_

Makoto then began blushing as he kept looking at Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"Just keep putting ice and toothpaste on that sting and just leave it alone for the time being," Lemon Meringue Pie said, as she stood up, and dusted her hands off. "We've gotta go."

"At least tell me what your name is!" Makoto said, as he used his other hand to grab Cherry Blossom Chocolate's hand.

"Ay- Cherry Blossom Chocolate." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, almost revealing her real name.

"Lemon Meringue Pie." Lemon said, although Makoto was not paying any attention.

A few hours later, the girls went back to _Sato Ai_ and then they related everything back to Eichi and Rikiya.

"…I wonder how President Matsubara's intervention will effect our missions, if at all." Hana said, worried about what was going to happen.

"It's not like it will do much to us if he stays out of the way from now on." Sakuranbo said, as she was rolling out pastry dough.

"Don't worry about it for now, girls." Rikiya said. _'I wonder…'_

* * *

The next day, the girls were at their lockers, when they saw a crowd, and then they went over to see Makoto with a bandage on, and many of his friends around him.

"Dude, where did that bee sting come from?" Sohma asked.

"That's just it; it came from a bee." Makoto said, not telling the whole story.

"So, where did those girls from yesterday go?" One of the other boys asked.

"I don't know, but the one in pink was just gorgeous…" Makoto said, blushing. "I… think I like her."

Sakuranbo then inwardly gasped; she wondered if the Student Body President had moved on from her to her alter ego, but either way, it was complicating matters.

"Dude, I thought you liked Ayuzawa?" Sohma asked.

"I'm still in love with her," Makoto said. "But I'm starting to fall for this warrior girl who saved me, too."

"You mean to tell me you like _TWO GIRLS_?!" One of Makoto's friends said.

Makoto went red in the face, and then he confessed, "Yes, I think I do."

'_EH?!'_ Sakuranbo inwardly hollered, as the scene then went black and white, with her in one spotlight, and Makoto in the other, as she soon found herself in a tough situation.

The situation: a boy with a crush on her has now fallen in love with both her, and another girl, only issue was that the other girl he liked was her alter ego. So, he liked two girls who were _the same_ girl.

'_NO WAY!'_ Sakuranbo said, as she grew worried, and afraid.

* * *

**UH-OH! It looks like Student Council President Makoto has not only still have his crush on Sakuranbo, but he's fallen for Cherry Blossom Chocolate, too! Talk about being between a rock and a hard place!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry I took so long with this chapter. A lot of things were going on and I was having trouble writing this one. **

**Sakuranbo and Hana are making progress in their duties as Sugar Girls! Not only have they managed to trump several Fungusites so far, now they have apparently found another one of their teammates! This time, it's the airhead of the school, Amano Miki! Is she REALLY one of the Sugar Girls, or are they just being fooled with due to her ditzy nature?**

* * *

_Blueberry BANG!_

Sakuranbo was slowly and distractedly walking to school the next day, still perseverating on her sudden predicament with Makoto. She had learned the boy who was crushing on her was also crushing on her other self, Cherry Blossom Chocolate, and this complicated her mission further.

"_MOU~! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!"_ Sakuranbo hollered in desperation.

"Sakuranbo, I wish I knew what you were going through with Makoto crushing on both you and Cherry Blossom Chocolate." Hana said, walking alongside her.

"I know! It's so difficult…" Sakuranbo said. "Not only do I have to live a double life, but I also have to deal with one boy crushing on both me and my alter-ego. If he is going to try pulling the kind of stunt he did yesterday, then I don't know what to do…"

"I don't know, either," Hana said. "For now, let's try and find our other teammates."

"Good idea." Sakuranbo said.

* * *

Meanwhile, a girl with cerulean blue hair and ocean blue eyes got one of her tests back: she had gotten a 77 out of 100.

"Gee, Miki," One of her friends said. "Keep this up and you'll flunk."

"It's okay," The girl, named Miki said. "Because… Um, what am I talking about?"

Her friend then just groaned, and muttered, "Airhead…"

Miki was then walking through the halls and all of the boys were making eyes at her, not to mention either whistling or purring at her, thinking she was adorable or something.

"She's cute! Why did you fall for Ayuzawa instead of Amano?" Sohma said to Makoto.

"I like smart girls." Makoto said, not really paying attention to his friend.

"I guess so." Sohma said, with a shrug.

"Hey, hey, did you see those girls that saved us from the bee the other day? They were amazing! I don't know how they do it!" One of the other girls said.

Hana and Sakuranbo groaned a bit and then they knew that keeping their secret was going to be easier said than done.

However, Sakuranbo's ribbon started beeping again, and then both she and Hana panicked a bit. They looked outside, but they heard no screaming.

"I think this ribbon needs a tune-up. I don't see any Fungusites or Virulenters around." Sakuranbo said, really worried.

However, it was neither a Virulenter nor a Fungusite that the ribbon was sensing. Outside the window, Prince Anise Black Licorice was spying on the girls, smiling lustily at Sakuranbo; for some reason, he could see right through the façade, as he knew exactly who she was.

"Looks like I found my sweet cherry." He said, before disappearing to the ship once more.

Sakuranbo then shivered violently and then she said, "I felt like someone was spying on me just now."

"Probably those aliens." Hana half-joked.

"This won't do… We've GOT to find our allies and quick!" Sakuranbo said.

"Quiet," Hana said. "We don't want to tell the entire school we're Sugar Girls."

"Touché," Sakuranbo said. "But still, we need to find the other two Sugar Girls and quick, before it's too late to stop those aliens."

"Ayuzawa-san." A voice said, and then Sakuranbo turned around to see Makoto.

"Ack!" Sakuranbo said, surprised. "Um, President Matsubara, wh-wh-what can I do for you?"

"Where were you during that giant bee attack the other day?" Makoto asked.

"Um… I was still inside the building. As soon as I saw the bee, I knew that staying indoors was the smartest thing to do. I'm sorry you got hurt." Sakuranbo said.

"That's okay," Makoto said. "So long as you're okay, but I have to thank Cherry Blossom Chocolate for saving me and everyone else."

Sakuranbo sweat dropped; she knew telling Makoto the truth was taboo, but it felt even WORSE knowing that the boy who liked her also was sweet on her alter-ego.

Meanwhile, in the library, Miki was looking for a particular book to do some of her homework with, but she soon saw one of her friends, and then she said, "Hi!"

"Miki, what's going on?" Her friend said, as she approached Miki.

Miki somehow dropped the book she needed, but did not even notice the blunder she had made.

"Nothing much. I'm just… Um… now, what was I up to again? I know I was in here for something, but what was it?" Miki said, forgetting why she was there.

"Ugh, just as forgetful as ever." Miki's friend then said, with a cynical edge to her tone of voice, and an eye roll.

"Really?" Miki said, with a questioning look on her face.

"Yep, as always." Miki's friend said.

"Anyway, I gotta go. _Sato Ai_ is having a big sale on blueberry muffins! The ones they sell are my favorite!" Miki said, as she then left the library, not picking up the book she needed.

"Knowing Miki, she probably forgot what she needed in here…" Miki's friend said, as she looked in the manga section of the library.

Miki then left the doors of the library, and then walked right past Sakuranbo and Hana. Right at that moment, Sakuranbo's ribbon then started going off, and then she and Hana started to panic once more. Sakuranbo looked out the window, but saw nothing, while Hana was looking around the area for any signs of screaming or fear; both got nothing.

However, Sakuranbo did not see that Anise Black Licorice was outside the window, again, watching Sakuranbo with lust in his eyes.

Sakuranbo felt herself shiver as she was panicking; the last thing she wanted was to transform in school once more and get Makoto's attention again.

"Hey, Sakuranbo," Hana said. "Have you noticed anything about your ribbon's reactions today?"

"Well, twice it went off, and both times, Amano Miki was there, and I didn't see any other signs of trouble." Sakuranbo said.

"If that's the case, then maybe Amano-san is…" Hana began.

"Maybe she's one of us! That's a good hypothesis! Let's tail Miki and see what she does. Remember, if she's a sugar girl, then she has to have a hankering for a certain item at _Sato Ai_, and has a marking of that item somewhere on her body." Sakuranbo said, as they started following Miki.

"Okay, but let's not make it look like we're stalking her." Hana said.

"Since we have to work there, anyway, why don't we ask to accompany her to the shop?" Sakuranbo inquired.

"Good call." Hana said.

"Hey, Amano-san!" Sakuranbo said, as she and Hana caught up with Miki.

"Ayuzawa-san, Makino-san, what can I do for you?" Miki asked.

"Um, we overheard you saying something about going to _Sato Ai_ later. We work there, so why don't we accompany you?" Hana asked.

"That would be great!" Miki said, smiling.

'_Got her!'_ Hana and Sakuranbo thought. They were both happy to know that their little deception game had worked.

Both of the girls then walked with Miki to _Sato Ai_, and Hana was discreetly trying to find the strange marking on Miki. However, she had no luck.

Once the trio got to _Sato Ai_, Sakuranbo said. "Miki-chan, please come in! Hana and I will be coming in with you, but we have our own work to do for the shop."

"Thank you, um…" Miki said, forgetting her escorts' names.

Sakuranbo and Hana donned their chefs' jackets and then they went into the back of the house, that is, the kitchen, and then they started baking. Sakuranbo was whipping up the cream for the cherry chocolates while Hana started baking the piecrusts.

"Ah, Amano-san," Eichi said, as he was up at the cash register once more. "What can I do for you today? Another blueberry muffin, like always?"

"Yes, please, um…" Miki said, forgetting Eichi's name.

"Eichi." Eichi said, reminding his absentminded client.

"Eichi-san! I would love one!" Miki said, as she paid for her muffin, and then she left the shop.

"Does Miki-san come in frequently to buy blueberry muffins?" Sakuranbo inquired.

"Right," Eichi said. "She's been coming in every day for the past two weeks. If that's the case…"

"Then she might be another Sugar Girl. The only way to confirm it is to find if there's a blueberry muffin mark on her body somewhere. We need to find out." Hana said.

"Another thing I want to ask you," Sakuranbo said, as she took off her ribbon and gave it to Eichi. "I think that this ribbon sensor needs a tune-up. It keeps going off, but there aren't any Fungusites around."

"That _is_ strange. I think that maybe what is going on is that it's sensing a foe that's in hiding." Rikiya said, as he came out from the basement.

"A foe that's in hiding?" Hana asked.

"One of our adversaries who doesn't want us to know they're spying on us. But… I wish I knew who those aliens really were…" Sakuranbo said. She looked out the window to see what was going on in the sky, but she saw nothing.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Anise Black Licorice's ship, he was in his throne once more, pacing around in circles for some reason. He knew that the girls were powerful enough as it is, and he had to find a way to create a Fungusite that was strong enough to take them out for good.

"Those Sugar Girls are stronger than I thought," Licorice said. "And the strength of that Cherry Blossom Chocolate matches her beauty…"

_~Flashback~_

The Flower Monster started spitting its nectar at Cherry Blossom, only for her to bring her fans together and then they became one shield, which blocked the nectar from hitting Cherry Blossom. After that, she brought the fans apart, and then she put one away while using the other to keep her airborne. She then threw the fan like a boomerang. It hit the flower once, and then as it came back to Cherry Blossom, it hit the flower again. Taking out the other fan, and grabbing the returning one, Cherry Blossom started flying around in circles around the flower monster.

She saw how long the cat's claws were, and then she had an idea. Using her fans to fly her close to the cat's paw, she turned one of her fans into a fighting sword and then she swiped at the cat's claws, thus cutting them down so they were not as sharp. This was apparently the key to changing the cat back; as the claws fell to the ground, they turned back to normal size and just fell on the ground like toothpicks while the cat glowed pink with energy, before shrinking back to size and then running to Hana's side, having turned back to normal.

_~End of Flashback~_

"As cute as she is, I need to find a way to stop those girls right in their tracks, but how?" Licorice inquired aloud to no one.

"Sire, I think that maybe cats, bees, and mice are too docile and not dangerous enough to be good adversaries to these Sugar Girls. Might I suggest a more dangerous organism? Poisonous spiders, a snake, something like that?" Cider inquired to his master.

"…You know, that's not a bad idea! Now, to find one of the most dangerous animals in the area!" Licorice said, as he got to his computer, and started typing up several letters, and soon he found the perfect candidate for his next Fungusite: a Japanese Mamushi snake.

It was in an alleyway nearby _Sato Ai_, and Miki was heading straight for it.

Licorice released the virulenter, and then it was going after the snake. Bees were one thing, but with the power the snake's venom had, the girls were going to be in a lot of trouble.

Miki soon stopped in her tracks, as she was soon face-to-face with the snake. She leaned in closer without any knowledge of what she was getting into, but she was soon too late.

However, just as it was about to bite, Miki backed off when she saw that on her arm, one area of her tricep was glowing with blue light.

Back inside the shop, Sakuranbo and Hana soon saw this scene and then they noticed the blue light coming from Miki.

"What the…?" Hana said.

"Uh-oh, I think I see a Mamushi snake out there, and it's going to bite Miki if we don't do something!" Sakurnabo said.

The girls then dropped the tools they were using, nodded, and then they put on their rings before running out the back door to save Miki.

The virulenter that was released then infected the snake. It bit the skin before crawling inside the two-foot long snake, and then the snake flashed for a second. It grew around fifty to sixty times its size, length, width, and all, and then its coloration went from pale gray to black, and the blotches on its back went from black to white with red centers.

Miki then turned back to the snake to see how large it grew, and then she fell onto her rump in fright.

The snake lunged forward to bite Miki, and she screamed in fright.

However, Lemon Meringue Pie and Cherry Blossom Chocolate soon flew in out of nowhere and knocked the snake into an alleyway before it played coward and slithered off.

"Well, that was easy," Lemon said, as she twirled her tambourine. "I just hope we don't run into it again."

"Of COURSE we're going to run into it again! We didn't get rid of the Virulenter that was invading the organism." Cherry Blossom Chocolate shouted, in annoyance.

"Um… Who are you?" Miki asked, surprised to see the two heroines in front of her.

Lemon Meringue Pie and Cherry Blossom Chocolate then knelt down at Miki, and then Cherry examined her arm. Sure enough, the blue light was coming from a blueberry muffin-shaped mark on Miki's upper arm.

"Yep, we had it right," Cherry said. "You're going to have to come with us."

"But who _are_ you?" Miki asked again.

"Oh, where are our manners?" Cherry asked, as she then pressed her ring, and changed back into Sakuranbo.

Hana followed suit and then she smiled.

"Makino-san? Ayuzawa-san?" Miki asked, standing up. "What's…"

Miki's mouth was then covered by Sakuranbo's hand, and then she said, "We can't talk here. There are too many people around. Let's head into the back of the shop. We'll explain there."

* * *

After explaining the entire situation to Miki, who just looked at them with a blank expression on them, Miki said, "So… What is this whole mission about again?"

The quartet just groaned in frustration; Hana then shouted, "SHEESH, we've already explained it, like, twenty times!"

"We've only explained it three times, Hana." Sakuranbo said, indignantly.

"But I think it's safe to say that this girl is merely an airhead." Rikiya whispered to Eichi.

"A bit of an insult, but you're right." Eichi replied.

"Okay, so the Fungusite got away from us. For now, anyway," Sakuranbo said. "I say we train Miki to use her powers right so when we meet up with that mutant snake again, she'll be ready to take it on. But since this is a Mamushi we're talking about, we need to find a way to defend against that venom; it's about as toxic as poisons can get."

"And it takes months of recovery if you get bitten, but then cured with antivenin." Rikiya said.

"Which can prove problematic." Hana said.

"But what do you mean train me? And what's a Mamushi again?" Miki asked, the ditz she was.

The others just groaned, and then the girls said, "JUST FOLLOW US!"

Leading Miki downstairs, Eichi placed a Confection Ring into Miki's hand, which had a blueberry on it, and then the girls nodded to each other.

They raised their rings up to the air, and said, _"Confection Ring: Transmogrification!"_

While Sakuranbo was doing some ballet dances as pink energy surrounded her to make her outfit, Lemon was doing some fancy soccer kicks as she was surrounded by yellow energy. Each girl had their feet surrounded by their colors as they kicked them to the sky, forming their shoes, and then as soon as the energy was gone, their hair and eyes were done changing, and they were all done transforming.

_"I am the Angel of Cherries! I'm a Prima Ballerina! I am Cherry Blossom Chocolate!"_ Sakuranbo shouted.

_"I'm the Goddess of Lemons, I'm a Soccer Queen, I am Lemon Meringue Pie!"_ Hana said.

"Miki-chan…" Rikiya said, hinting to Miki to use hers.

Miki put her ring on, and then she raised it to the ceiling, also saying, _"Confection Ring: Transmogrification!"_

A large blueberry appeared in the air. Miki was spinning around, as her hair went from pigtails to braids with blueberry barrettes, as well as her hair turning baby blue. Blue light disappeared from her body to reveal a tutu-like dress that had a three-layered fabric skirt, as well as straps and less puffy sleeves. Her skirt had brown, baby blue, and cerulean fabric, and it was longer than Cherry Blossom Chocolate's. She was wearing the same theme colored; fingerless gloves, and the same style combat boots as Hana. She soon kicked in the air, clapped her hands, and then she smiled with a giggle.

"_I'm a Blueberry Sweetheart! I'm Blueberry Muffin!"_

"Sigh… 'Blueberry Muffin'… That fits." Hana said, with a smile.

"Now, we need you to reveal your weapon to us." Cherry Blossom Chocolate asked.

"Weapon?" Miki said, nervously.

"It won't be anything like a gun. It will most likely some kind of toy or other item that probably wouldn't be used for fighting otherwise. I have pink fans that I can use as swords, a shield, and for flight." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she took her fans out, and she demonstrated what she was able to do with hers.

"I have a tambourine that I can also use as a shield, but it can also generate sound waves loud enough to break the sound barrier." Hana said, as she took out her tambourine, but she refrained from generating a sonic boom.

"Now let's see what you have in your arsenal." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

Miki then raised her hand and then she soon obtained a blue baton that came out of nowhere in her hand.

"A baton?" Blueberry Muffin inquired, as she looked at it questioningly.

"Let's see what it can do." Lemon Meringue Pie said.

All of a sudden, the baton leaped out of Blueberry's hand, and it glowed baby blue before lengthening, and obtaining blades on both sides before landing back in Miki's hand.

"Nice, it can become a naginata! Don't worry about knowing how to fight; that comes naturally." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"Just take care not to hit us with that thing." Lemon Meringue Pie said.

Miki then nodded, and twirled her naginata a bit before swiping the blade in the air, being careful not to hit her friends/teachers.

However, as she had lack of control of the item, the naginata turned back into a baton, and then it changed into a bo staff.

"Wow, it changes into a bo staff, too? Nice." Lemon Meringue Pie said.

"This is incredible." Miki said, as she did some martial arts movements with the bo staff.

"Just be careful, and like I said earlier, we need to be careful when we see that Mamushi again. Speaking of which, I'll bet those aliens and their Virulenters conjured that thing up." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"Most likely," Eichi said. "Which is why that instead of working the shop, you'll be training until we detect the Fungusite."

"Good idea, but who knows what those aliens are up to, as well as where that Fungusite is." Lemon Meringue Pie said.

"Girls, stay down here and train, okay?" Rikiya said, as he and Eichi then went back upstairs.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an extremely remote alleyway, the Mamushi Fungusite was growing its power by resting and trembling as the infectious energy of the Virulenter coursed through its veins and caused it to grow in size, as well as power.

Meanwhile, Prince Licorice, and Page Cider were watching the Mamushi grow in size and power. Licorice was proud of how strong his Fungusite was getting with time.

"Once this Fungusite is at full power, the Sugar Girls are going to be TOAST!" Licorice said.

"Sire, need I remind you that underestimating the enemy is never a good thing? How are we supposed to invade Earth with those two girls in the way?" Cider inquired.

"No, Cider, but please keep in mind that those two girls are growing their team as we speak, and we can't let them get ahead of us!" Licorice said, with a smirk.

"I see; eradicate them while we can." Cider said.

Licorice nodded in approval.

The Mamushi's eyes flashed red before the snake reared up and hissed so loudly, it could have been mistaken for a roar.

* * *

Meanwhile, the girls were still training downstairs in the shop. Sakuranbo was using her swords against Blueberry's naginata, and so far, they were evenly matched.

"Good use of the blades, Blueberry," Cherry Blossom Chocolate said. "But not good enough!"

She overpowered Blueberry Muffin and soon pinned her to the ground, but Miki retaliated by kicking Sakuranbo off of her and causing her to hit the wall.

Lemon was standing on the sidelines, waiting for her turn in the rink.

"Ttaku… All of this waiting around for the Mamushi to attack is annoying." Lemon Meringue Pie said.

Being thrown into the wall, Cherry Blossom Chocolate then fell to the floor, and said, "I concede; Lemon Meringue Pie, you're up!"

"Finally! Time for some action!" Lemon Meringue Pie said.

"Let's go!" Blueberry Muffin said, with a smile.

Listening from upstairs, Rikiya and Eichi were smiling in satisfaction; Eichi said, "Looks like the girls' training is going well."

"More like SOUNDS like it, if you ask me." Rikiya said.

"Anyway, we should get back to work." Eichi said.

However, hours passed, and before closing time, the girls took their rings off and reverted back to normal. They then decided to walk home together, with the troublesome chance of running into the Mamushi snake again.

"I hope we don't have to deal with too much trouble with that Mamushi." Sakuranbo said.

"I don't know," Hana said. "There's no telling when that thing will pop up again."

"That, and then there's the possibility it will be stronger than last time… What are we talking about?" Miki said.

Hana and Sakuranbo then groaned in frustration.

'_I wonder… Why did HER DNA get to be infused with the blueberry muffin…?' _Sakuranbo thought.

However, the girls soon heard a large hissing noise coming from a nearby street corner, and then out of nowhere, empty cars were being flipped over and people were running like headless chickens, little kids were crying, and shots of a certain substance were being fired at the people, but missing and hitting the pavement.

"What the heck?" Sakuranbo said. She soon took out a jar and collected some of the liquid.

Bringing it back to the store and having Rikiya analyze it, her suspicions were soon confirmed.

"This is Mamushi Snake venom alright," Eichi said. "Looks like that Fungusite is on the move again."

"And only a Mamushi snake at least two hundred times the size of a normal one can flip empty cars like they were dominos like that." Hana said, making assumptions.

"You're probably right," Sakuranbo said. "Now it's time for a plan of attack! Let's go!"

The girls then ran off to find the Mamushi snake.

"Any readings?" Hana asked.

"This way!" Sakuranbo said, looking to the right of their position.

Just barely evading a shot of the venom from that direction, Sakuranbo led the way to find the Mamushi snake, at least ten to twenty times its original size, and its fangs even longer than normal.

"We've got our work cut out for us, girls," Sakuranbo said. "Now let's get to it. We have to fight it so as to remove the Virulenter from the snake, not kill the snake, so let's do our best."

"Right!" Miki and Hana said.

The three girls put their rings on, and then they raised their hands up before shouting, _"Confection Ring, Transmogrify!"_

While Sakuranbo was doing some ballet dances as pink energy surrounded her to make her outfit, Hana was doing some fancy soccer kicks as she was surrounded by yellow energy, and Miki was doing some skips and jumps in place, surrounded by light blue energy. Each girl had their feet surrounded by their colors as they kicked them to the sky, forming their shoes, and then as soon as the energy was gone, the girls' hair changed. Sakuranbo's hair turned pastel pink before being tied up into a ponytail with a pink ribbon, and her head was topped with a pink beret with a cherry on it. Hana's hair was tied into a bun while hers turned yellow, and then finally, Miki's hair lengthened and turned baby blue while her eyes paled up a bit. Her long hair was tied up in two braids with blueberry barrettes and then she landed on the ground, smiling.

"_The Angel of Cherries, and a Prima Ballerina! Cherry Blossom Chocolate!"_ Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she did a pirouette.

_"I'm the Goddess of Lemons, I'm a Soccer Queen, I am Lemon Meringue Pie!"_ Lemon Meringue Pie said, doing a soccer kick.

"_I'm a Blueberry Sweetheart! I'm Blueberry Muffin!"_ Blueberry Muffin said, as she jumped in the air for a little bit.

The trio shared a high-five in the air before grouping together for a pose, shouting, _"We're The Sugar Girls!"_

"Ugh, now we have those girls to deal with! Worse still, they have a new friend! We gotta do something!" Prince Licorice said, as he soon got angry with the situation.

As the snake attacked, it whipped its tail, but the girls dodged out of the way in the nick of time.

"Snap, what do we do?" Lemon Meringue Pie asked.

"Why not use your tambourine to stun the snake, Lemon-san?" Blueberry Muffin inquired.

"Good idea!" Lemon Meringue Pie said, as she readied her tambourine.

"Sound-based attacks are out of the question," Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she prepared a fan. "Remember: just because it mutated doesn't mean its not a snake. It still is, in fact, a Mamushi; just… well… more extreme. Snakes can use their tongues to 'taste' the air, and use the Jacobson's organs they have in the roof of their mouths to analyze their surroundings. It's a more accurate version of smell, so they can tell the difference between predator and prey. If Lemon uses one of her sound-based moves to distract the snake, it won't help! We have to try something else."

"Okay, then…" Lemon Meringue Pie said.

The snake roared again and shot more venom out of its fangs, at the girls. Once again, they leaped out of the way to escape, and then the girls gathered up once again to try something.

"How about a combination attack?" Blueberry Muffin asked.

"Good idea. I'll fly up and try distracting the snake while you two attack it from below, but don't kill it!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she leaped into the air, and started flying with her fans.

Taking out her baton, Blueberry Muffin ran up, and then threw it in such a way, that it spun around. As it glowed baby blue, it turned into a boomerang and then hit the Mamushi before returning to her.

"Remember, no sound attacks, Lemon!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"Got it!" Lemon Meringue Pie said, as she kicked the snake, being careful not to dig the heel of her shoe into its skin.

"How else can we defeat this thing if we can't kill it?" Blueberry Muffin asked.

As she was dodging venom streams, Cherry Blossom Chocolate shouted, "Try sensing where the focal point is, and then liberate it from the rest of the organism!"

"Huh?!" Lemon Meringue Pie and Blueberry Muffin asked.

Groaning, Cherry Blossom Chocolate explained, "Sense where the power source is in this Mamushi, and then somehow separate it from the rest of the snake! That's most likely where the Virulenter is residing! For example, if the tail is where the power is strongest, cut the tail off."

"Right!" Her friends said.

Opening its mouth, the Mamushi showed off its fangs, and then Cherry Blossom Chocolate noticed a strange glow coming from the left fang. Looking closer, she saw the Virulenter.

"Blueberry! I need you up here! The Virulenter is in the left fang of the snake! We need to cut it!"

"Give me a boost!" Miki said.

"Right!" Lemon Meringue said, as she tossed Miki up to Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"Use your Naginata!" Cherry Blossom said, as she transformed her fans into swords, while Blueberry Muffin changed her baton into her Naginata.

"Shouldn't I stun it?" Lemon Meringue Pie asked.

"Right! Use your sonic boom!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"Let's go!" Lemon Meringue Pie shouted, as she banged on the skin of the tambourine, and stunned the snake using her sonic boom.

"Now's our chance!" Blueberry Muffin said.

Using their blades, Cherry Blossom Chocolate and Blueberry Muffin double-sliced the left fang, causing it to fall off, and for the Virulenter to leave it.

The snake then slowly changed back to normal, and the amputated fang was regrown into a normal one.

"Glad that's over with." Lemon Meringue Pie said, as the three girls changed back.

"Now that we have a new member with us, I'm sure things will get a bit easier for us." Sakuranbo said.

"Let's hope…" Miki said.

* * *

Later on, after heading off in separate directions, Sakuranbo was walking home when her ribbon's sensor started going off.

Looking around, Sakuranbo took the sensor off and then she shook it; it still kept beeping.

"I think this thing needs a tune-up. I don't see any fungusites or virulenters around." Sakuranbo said, as she shook the sensor around again.

"Ooh! Beeping, beeping!" A voice said, and ready for action, Sakuranbo got into an attack stance to take on anyone, only for a silhouette up above to be the one talking.

"Who's there?" Sakuranbo demanded.

"Up here, sweetie pie," The voice said. "Your days of destroying our Fungusites are numbered. So when you least expect it…"

The silhouette dove down, catching Sakuranbo off-guard, and then he placed his lips onto hers, surprising Sakuranbo.

Breaking the kiss, he floated about a yard away, while Sakuranbo covered her mouth while gagging, before demanding, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"The name's Prince Anise Black Licorice, but you can call me Licorice, Cherry-Baby," Anise Black Licorice said, before flying. "Catch you later, cutie."

Sakuranbo then fell on her knees in despair from the kiss, and then she felt like she was about to throw up.

* * *

**Next time, Sakuranbo is asked out on a date by Makoto, only for him to start piecing together that she and Cherry Blossom Chocolate are one and the same. **


	5. Chapter 5

**One more member of the group is here, now! But now Sakuranbo is on her own on this one. Not only is she still traumatized by the kiss that Licorice gave her in the last chapter, but now President Makoto is asking her out on a date! Worse still, he's starting to piece together that Sakuranbo and Cherry Blossom Chocolate are one and the same! What is she going to do?**

* * *

_The Date_

Sakuranbo was walking to school, with a depressed look on her face, and worse still, she was really having a hard time forgetting the kiss Licorice stole form her. It kept replaying in her mind over and over again.

_~Flashback~_

"Who's there?" Sakuranbo demanded.

"Up here, sweetie pie," The voice said. "Your days of destroying our Fungusites are numbered. So when you least expect it…"

The silhouette dove down, catching Sakuranbo off-guard, and then he placed his lips onto hers, surprising Sakuranbo.

Breaking the kiss, he floated about a yard away, while Sakuranbo covered her mouth while gagging, before demanding, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"The name's Prince Anise Black Licorice, but you can call me Licorice, Cherry-Baby," Anise Black Licorice said, before flying. "Catch you later, cutie."

Sakuranbo then fell on her knees in despair from the kiss, and then she felt like she was about to throw up.

_~End of Flashback~_

She touched her lips, and then gagged a bit, before walking to her locker.

'_I don't believe this…' _Sakuranbo thought, in shock. _'I got kissed… KISSED… By an ALIEN, no less…'_

Meanwhile, at her locker, someone was opening and tampering around with Sakuranbo's stuff. However, it was not for anything shifty or shady. In fact, it was just to deliver something to her.

That someone was Matsubara Makoto, the student council president. He had not given up on Sakuranbo; not even a little bit.

He was leaving Sakuranbo's locker, and he looked in her direction. She was on her way over to the locker, and he soon bolted.

'_There she is…'_ Makoto thought, as he smiled calmly, while looking at Sakuranbo with love in his eyes.

However, he soon noticed something familiar about Sakuranbo that he had not noticed before. He could have sworn he saw Cherry Blossom Chocolate in Sakuranbo's place for a split second.

He shook his head, and then he thought, _'It can't be… But… How would I be able to choose if I'm in love with both of them? If that's the case, that is.'_

As Sakuranbo got to her locker, she soon found a note inside, and President Matsubara signed it. Her eyes widened and then she opened it silently. It was two tickets to the amusement park.

A note said, _'I would like you to accompany me to the amusement park this weekend. Saturday for 12:00 noon, okay? President Matsubara Makoto.'_

'_First my DNA is fused with my favorite treat, then I get a confession from the Student Body President TWICE, my first kiss is stolen by my adversary, and now THIS?!'_ Sakuranbo thought, irritated.

Tapping her on the shoulder, Makoto said, "Ayuzawa-san…"

"President Matsubara, I… Uh… Don't know what to say." Sakuranbo said.

"I'll see you on Saturday." Makoto said, before walking away.

"Looks like I've got… a date." Sakuranbo said, as she soon looked at the tickets.

Makoto looked back for a bit, and thought, _'Why is it that I keep imagining Cherry Blossom Chocolate in Ayuzawa-san's place at times?'_

He then remembered something from a few days prior: the giant bee attack.

_~Flashback~_

The bee held its stinger at the ready, towards Cherry Blossom Chocolate, and was about to sting her, when…

"_ABUNAI!_" Makoto shouted, as he leaped into the way, took the sting below his shoulder, and then he fell to the ground in pain. He held onto his arm in agony, before passing out.

"_NO!"_ Cherry Blossom Chocolate hollered, seeing Makoto on the ground. She then ran to his side, and gently turned him over so she could see his face, being careful not to touch the wound.

"Someone get him some ice! Toothpaste, too!" Lemon Meringue Pie shouted, as she was scuttling back and forth in panic.

"We'll handle that later!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate shouted, noticing the bee heading towards them once more. "We've got a bee to squish!"

"Let's do it!" Lemon Meringue Pie said, in determination.

"I'll be back for you later." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she gently laid Makoto down.

His eyes just barely open, Makoto caught a slight glimpse of Cherry Blossom Chocolate, but then he passed out once more.

A few minutes later, Makoto then woke up to the cold sensation of the ice being pressed against his bee sting. He then looked at Cherry Blossom Chocolate, who was tending to his wounds.

"Are you okay?" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

Makoto blushed, as she saw Cherry Blossom Chocolate's stunning beauty and her kind aura. He felt his heart accelerate, but he was not sure whether it was from the bee sting or something else.

"You gave us quite a scare," Lemon said, as she began applying toothpaste to the wound. "That was really reckless of you to jump in the way of the sting like that."

"I couldn't stand to see you get hurt." Makoto said, although it was more directed to Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"You really shouldn't do that," Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, kindly. "Because we know what we're doing, and you don't know what you're up against."

"Maybe I don't." Makoto said. _'Now that I get a good look at her, not only is she gorgeous, but she also resembles Ayuzawa-san.'_

Makoto then began blushing as he kept looking at Cherry Blossom Chocolate.

"Just keep putting ice and toothpaste on that sting and just leave it alone for the time being," Lemon Meringue Pie said, as she stood up, and dusted her hands off. "We've gotta go."

"At least tell me what your name is!" Makoto said, as he used his other hand to grab Cherry Blossom Chocolate's hand.

"Ay- Cherry Blossom Chocolate." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, almost revealing her real name.

_~End of Flashback~_

'_Now that I think about it, Ayuzawa-san was AWOL during that attack… I wonder where she was?'_ Makoto asked, internally.

* * *

"EH?!" Miki and Hana shouted, in surprise.

"That's right…" Sakuranbo said, as she relayed the news to her friends.

"That's so sweet!" Hana said. "You're finally breaking out of your shell and going out with the boy who likes you!"

"Now, hold on," Sakuranbo said. "The only reason I'm going is to be polite. He already spent the money on the tickets, so it would be rude not to go with him. Besides, I need to make sure he has forgotten all about that Bee Fungusite attack a few days back."

"If he forgot about it, then the student body president shouldn't get in the way anymore, should he?" Hana asked.

"Right." Sakuranbo said.

"We can't have anyone in on the secret, or they could get hurt." Miki said.

"That's the deal." Hana said.

"So, the only reason I'm going out on this date is because I need to make sure President Matsubara is unaware that I'm a member of the Sugar Girls." Sakuranbo said.

"Technically, you're our leader. You were the first Sugar Girl to be born, so you're the boss of the group." Hana said.

"Oh… Thank you, but I can't be bothered with that. We have work to do," Sakuranbo said. "I say we exchange cell phone numbers so that way we can inform each other of Fungusites if we're all scattered about."

"That's a good idea, but… How will one of us know if it's a Fungusite? You're the only one with the tech to sense Virulenters." Miki pointed out.

"Good point…" Sakuranbo said.

* * *

At _Sato Ai_, the girls relayed the situation to Rikiya and Eiichi, who soon realized the importance of what was happening.

"I see… So, you want to insure that you can all keep the Fungusites under control without having to be with each other 24/7, as well as the issue of all being able to track Virulenters and Fungusites, rather than it just being Sakuranbo alone?" Rikiya asked.

The girls nodded and then Eiichi came up with two more Virulenter and Fungusite sensors. One was yellow, in the form of a bracelet, and the other was blue, in the form of barrettes.

"Luckily, we were already thinking ahead; we anticipated that this situation would come up, so I made more sensors for you girls. To keep them inconspicuous, I modeled them to look like accessories you're normally seen with. Barrettes for Miki-chan, and a bracelet for Hana-chan." Eiichi said, as he handed the sensors to Hana and Miki.

Miki put hers in place of her usual barrettes for her braids, and Hana put hers on her wrist.

"Did you also trade cell phone numbers?" Rikiya inquired.

"Already taken care of." Hana said.

"Good," Eiichi said. "Now the three of you should head on home."

The girls then nodded and took off for their homes.

However, Sakuranbo was unaware that she was being watched from the hideout of the alien invaders.

"That one Sakuranbo girl… Her lips are as sweet as cherries. Then again, according to my research, that's what the word "Sakuranbo" literally means." Prince Licorice said, as he licked his lips in lust and then he smirked evilly, showing his fangs.

"Need I remind you she's the enemy? What are you trying to pull, sir?" Cider asked, face-palming himself.

"I'm not trying to pull anything! My plan is to win her over, and make sure she thinks that I'm trying to find a way to peacefully solve this issue, and then break her heart to the point where she can't fight!" Licorice explained.

Getting the idea, Cider then said, "Ah, good thinking, using battle tactics."

Meanwhile, Sakuranbo was in her room, practicing some of her ballet, when she had a worried look on her face. She was thinking about the possibility of someone finding out her secret, and that someone was President Matsubara.

She stopped dancing, and then she sang, _"Sugar… Sugar Girls… Fighting aliens, keeping secrets, and going for danger and thrills… I'm one of the Sugar… Girls."_

Walking out to her balcony, Sakuranbo looked up to the sky and sighed sadly, before muttering, "I cannot believe that this is happening…"

* * *

The next day at school, Makoto was at his locker, and there was a lot on his mind. He was confused about a few things: where Sakuranbo was during the bee attack, who Cherry Blossom Chocolate really is, and what was going on in the world.

'_What if…' _Makoto thought, as he saw Sakuranbo and Cherry Blossom chocolate standing juxtapose to each other, and they started moving closer, and overlapping each other, causing Makoto much confusion.

'_Maybe… Maybe…' _Makoto said, about to put two and two together, when…

"Oi, President Matsubara!" One of the Student Council representatives said, as he ran up to his president.

"Oh, Noda-kun, what's the matter?" Makoto said, a bit dully.

"Is it true you scored a date with Ayuzawa?" Noda asked.

Makoto merely nodded, and then he said, "What's worrying me is where she was during that attack on the school the other day."

"The one with that giant bee and those super cute girls who fought it off?" Noda asked.

"Right," Makoto said. "She wasn't present during the fight at all. I'm planning on asking her about it."

"Well, I'd bet a year's worth of rice she was actually one of those heroines from the fight!" Noda said.

Makoto said nothing, and just mused over the issue.

Meanwhile, Sakuranbo was at her locker, on the other side of the corridor, and she was still having emotional struggles. Not only did the kiss from Licorice keep replaying in her head, she was worried about how her date with Makoto would go, assuming he had forgotten the bee attack. Then again, since more than enough people were talking about it, forgetting was next to impossible.

Makoto was then walking in the halls, and he soon caught sight of Sakuranbo, who was walking to class, albeit she was worried about something; that he could see.

"Ayuzawa-san! Hold on a second!" Makoto said, as he approached Sakuranbo.

"President Matsubara, what's the problem?" Sakuranbo asked. _'I hope he isn't going to ask about what I __think__ he's going to ask…'_

"While we're at the park on Saturday… I'd like to talk to you about something, if that's alright." Makoto said, as he placed his hands on Sakuranbo's shoulders.

Sakuranbo merely nodded, and then she looked away, in worry. She was afraid of what the topic was.

"So… I'll pick you up at your house around 11:30 on Saturday?" Makoto asked.

"Yes…" Sakuranbo said, as she looked Makoto in the eyes.

* * *

That day, Sakuranbo was out of her usual uniform, and she was waiting outside her house for Makoto. To say that things were going well internally would have been an exaggeration, as she was as nervous as heck.

"Ayuzawa-san!" Makoto said, as he soon came up to her house, in a hurried run. "Did you wait long?"

Sakuranbo shook her head, and then she said, "No, I just got out here myself."

"Well, come on! The park won't wait for us forever!" Makoto said, as he grabbed Sakuranbo's hand and started leading her to the amusement park.

However, she was unaware that Licorice was watching her again. This time, he was angry: _VERY_ angry.

"Damn it! That girl is frivolously frolicking around with other boys when she could be with a _prince_! Well, I'll teach her to chose the common over royalty with another Fungisute!" Licorice said, as he was typing a few things on the computer.

Looking at the nearby park where Sakuranbo was headed, he soon found the perfect organism to be the next Fungusite: a parakeet at one of the booths at the park.

He sent out the Virulenter, and it set off for the amusement park. If flew in discreetly, and it just missed getting picked up by Sakuranbo's sensor ribbon.

Makoto and Sakuranbo first went to one of the game booths. Particularly, the crane game; Makoto was aiming for the adorable, stuffed cherry creature. He thought that Sakuranbo would like it, seeing as her name literally meant "cherry".

As he soon gave Sakuranbo the plush toy, she held it over her head in joy. Seeing this, Makoto soon saw Cherry Blossom Chocolate in Sakuranbo's place once again. He remembered her cherry-topped beret that she wore during that battle, and then he blushed.

'_Every time… I see Cherry Blossom Chocolate in Ayuzawa-san's place… But why?'_ Makoto asked in his head.

"Arigato, President!" Sakuranbo said, as she hugged the cherry toy.

"… Makoto…" Makoto muttered.

"Eh?" Sakuranbo asked.

"Call me 'Makoto'…" Makoto said, a little louder.

Sakuranbo blushed, and then the two of them were blushing, and looking at each other, bashfully.

Makoto took Sakuranbo's hand, and then he led her in a different direction, telling her, "Come on, let's go get some lunch."

Sakuranbo nodded, a smile on her face.

This did NOT sit well with Licorice. Not one little bit. He growled, broke his water glass in his grip, and then he banged it on the arm of his chair, before saying, "Oh, that will NOT be tolerated!"

Pressing the button, the Virulenter targeted the parakeet. Once the house manager of the booth left for a break, the Virulenter shrunk to the size of an insect, formed into a mosquito, and it used its needle-like mouth to pierce into the parakeet. The Virulenter then invaded the parakeet by morphing into some kind of fluid and entering the bloodstream of the unknowing bird all at once. The bird's eyes turned red, and the white feathers of the parakeet turned black, while the black ones turned blue.

The ribbon beeped lightly a bit, and then Sakuranbo was soon alerted to the oncoming danger. She looked around, while still holding Makoto's hand, and then she thought, _'A Fungusite or Virulenter? HERE? Either these aliens are starting to become bolder, or I'm going to be busted…'_

Makoto noticed Sakuranbo's nervousness, and then he assumed, "Don't worry about lunch; I'll pay."

"Oh?" Sakuranbo said. "Oh, thank you, but… There was something else on my mind. It's really nothing that you should be worried about."

Sakuranbo then smiled, with a happy look; seeing the similarities in facial expression, Makoto once again saw Cherry Blossom Chocolate appear in Sakuranbo's place.

'_That has to be it! Ayuzawa-san… HAS to be Cherry Blossom Chocolate! But to confirm it…'_ Makoto thought, making a firm hypothesis.

As the two were eating some pizza for lunch, Sakuranbo was smiling and actually enjoying herself. However, she felt a little bothered that her ribbon had not stopped beeping. Her instinct was that a Virulenter was sent to the park deliberately, but decided not to take any action until she was positive that the Fungusite was there.

"Ayuzawa-san, how's your lunch?" Makoto asked.

"It's delicious; why wouldn't it be?" Sakuranbo inquired.

"It's just… Something seems to be bothering you." Makoto pointed out.

'_Nuts… He's catching on.'_ Sakuranbo thought, a little nervous.

Looking at the Ferris Wheel, Makoto took Sakuranbo's hand, and then he said, "How about a ride on the Ferris Wheel when we're done eating?"

Sakuranbo smiled, feeling a little better about the situation. However, at the same time, she was worried about what Makoto was going to do when they DID go on the Ferris Wheel.

As the two of them were heading in line to go on the ride, the parakeet was slowly mutating from the Virulenter inside it. It was slowly growing, changing color, and subtly growing more ferocious. As the energy of the Virulenter grew stronger, Sakuranbo's ribbon started reacting more obviously.

Soon, Sakuranbo and Makoto were in one car of the Ferris Wheel, and they were going up. Sakuranbo looked out the window's car, and then she looked back at Makoto, out of the corner of her eye.

However, soon, the Ferris Wheel stopped moving abruptly, and then the swinging of the car caused the two teenagers to get nervous.

"Say… Ayuzawa-san… Can I ask you something?" Makoto asked.

"Sure, go ahead." Sakuranbo thought, thinking nothing of the situation.

"…During that mutant bee attack a few days ago…" Makoto began.

'_Oh, snap, he remembers that?!'_ Sakuranbo thought, now growing worried about where the conversation was going.

"…Where were you at the time? I was looking for you all over the school, worried you had gotten into some kind of danger." Makoto asked.

'_Oh, no, what do I say?! I can't tell him that I was the one __fighting__ that thing!'_ Sakuranbo thought.

"Um… I was hiding! That's right! Hiding inside the school's custodian closet to avoid any danger!" Sakuranbo said.

Makoto looked at Sakuranbo skeptically, and then once again, he saw Cherry Blossom Chocolate in her place.

'_Looks like I was right… She's Cherry Blossom Chocolate, but I need to prove it…'_ Makoto thought.

"Really…? During that fight… Cherry Blossom Chocolate fought that thing… When I got a good look at her… I noticed she resembles… You." Makoto told Sakuranbo, looking her in the eye.

Sakuranbo's eyes widened, and then she blushed, thinking, _'Oh, __NO!__ He's clueing in that I'm Cherry Blossom Chocolate! I've got to hide it somehow, but… But… What do I do?!'_

"Tell me, Ayuzawa-san… You… Are you Cherry Blossom Chocolate?" Makoto asked.

"Um… Why would you ask me something like _that?_ Why would I fool around with that kind of fantasyland nonsense? That's ridiculous!" Sakuranbo said, rolling her eyes, but sweat dropping behind her head.

"I can tell you're nervous about this," Makoto said. He stood up from his seat, walked over to Sakuranbo, and then he put his hands in a position where she could not move.

"Tell me the truth. Are you Cherry Blossom Chocolate? The girl who saved my life from that mutant bee?"

'_Crud! He knows! He KNOWS!'_ Sakuranbo thought.

The intense look in Makoto's eye compelled Sakuranbo to tell him the truth, when…

There was a large bang followed by the ground shaking, which caused the Ferris Wheel to shake violently, and then Sakuranbo fell out of her seat on to the floor of the car, but not without Makoto catching her beforehand.

Looking up, Sakuranbo blushed a bit, and then she saw the minor injury that Makoto sustained.

Her ribbon started beeping off the hook, but only she could hear it. The Ferris Wheel then kept going once again, only a lot faster, and then the two teenagers sat back down, for safety reasons.

As soon as they got off, the operator shouted, "Everyone, evacuate the park at once!"

"What? Why? What's going on?" Makoto asked.

"I don't know! Some kind of mutant bird from the park is going on a rampage!" The operator said.

'_Mutant bird… Oh, no…' _Sakuranbo thought, knowing in the back of her mind what was happening.

Soon, a large, loud noise that sounded like a squawking bird blared out, and then Makoto and Sakuranbo covered their ears in pain. However, soon after, they looked in the direction of where the noise was coming from, and then Sakuranbo noticed that it was a parakeet with abnormal markings, and then she looked up at her ribbon, which was still ringing like crazy.

'_I knew it! That's a Fungusite all right! But I can't transform in the middle of all of this confusion!'_ Sakuranbo thought, worried about what to do.

"Ayuzawa-san, this way!" Makoto said, as he grabbed Sakuranbo's hand, and started fleeing for an exit.

However, a steel girder was soon falling towards them, and then they both fled out of the way, in opposite directions, but they were soon separated, and out of each other's site.

"Ayuzawa-san!" Makoto shouted.

"I'm okay! You find a way out on your own! I'll figure something out and escape, too!" Sakuranbo said.

Makoto did not argue and then he just nodded before running off to the exit.

"Now's my chance!" Sakuranbo said, as she soon took out her phone, and sent a chain text message to Hana and Miki.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned two girls were at their homes, only for their phones to go off. They picked up, read the message, which said, _'We've got a problem! A parakeet Fungusite is at the amusement park. Luckily for me, I've managed to separate myself from the crowd to transform. Hurry and get here!'_

"Mom, Dad, I'm heading out to the library for a while!" The two girls shouted in their homes before running outside of their houses to head off to the amusement park.

Back with Sakuranbo, she hid behind the bathroom facility and then she took out her ring, put it on, and then she shouted, _"Confection Ring: Transmogrification!"_

A large, pink, green-stemmed cherry appeared in the air and then Sakuranbo appeared in front of it. Pink light swirled around her body and then her hair magically turned pastel pink, which grew longer before being tied up into a ponytail that was tied up with a ribbon, and a pink beret with a large, red cherry on top appeared on her head. Her eyes turned light pink, and then she smiled with a wink, causing her glasses to vanish. The pink light around her body disappeared to reveal a strapless, pink, tutu-like dress with a skirt that was double-layered with top layer being light pink, with the lower layer being cherry-pink fabric, which went down to knee-height. Her top was strapless, and went just below her neckline, and the top's design consisted of a cherry that had been dipped in chocolate, while the rest of the top was a dark pink color. After doing some ballet twirls, she raised her arms in the air, and elbow-long, dark pink gloves with pink frills on the ends appeared on her arms after magic wrapped around her arms like ribbons. She then did an arabesque, which caused high-heel, knee-high combat boots that had pointed toes, as well as being dark pink to appear on her feet. After doing a jump and landing on one foot, she did a pirouette and raised her arms up to pose.

Using her fans to fly up to fight, Makoto noticed that she was in the air, and then in his mind, he shouted, _'Cherry Blossom Chocolate!'_

Looking down to Makoto, Cherry Blossom Chocolate's face did not change, and then she flew up to the parakeet, and shouted, "Hey, you overgrown canary! Have a taste of cherries!"

She used her fans, and then she turned them into swords before charging up some type of cherry-infused energy scent of some sort.

She then spun around, while holding her swords out to her sides, and then she created a whirlwind of cherry-scented winds, pushing the parakeet Fungusite back.

Stopping, and then gasping for air, Cherry Blossom Chocolate looked back to see the parakeet open its beak, and then it squawked loudly; in fact, the air force pushed Cherry Blossom Chocolate right into the ground, but she got up, unscathed.

"Cherry Blossom Chocolate! Are you okay?" Makoto shouted, as he ran to help her up.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Just get out of here!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"But what about Ayuzawa-san? Is she okay?" Makoto asked.

"She's fine. I saw her leave the premises before I got here, so she's safe. I'd recommend calling her or checking up on her later, and I mean after all of this confusion." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

The parakeet then reared up again, ready to fight, and then Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, "Get out of here! Get to safety!"

This time, Makoto saw Sakuranbo appear in Cherry Blossom Chocolate's face, but then he nodded, and fled for his life.

Then, out of nowhere, a yellow tambourine flew by, hitting the parakeet in the head, before flying back into the hands of Lemon Meringue Pie, who was accompanied by Blueberry Muffin.

"Perfect timing, you two." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she stood up.

"Could have been better if Blueberry hadn't been struggling with how to use her grappling hook to travel." Lemon said.

"Hey!" Blueberry said.

"Either way, we have work to do." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"What's the plan, leader?" Blueberry Muffin asked.

"First thing's first: we need to find where the Virulenter is at, and literally cut that section off from the rest of the bird, but strictly without harming it!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"And if the Virulenter is in the foot, beak, or worse, the wings?" Lemon Meringue Pie asked.

"Then we'll figure out another way." Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

However, the bird squawked again, and then the girls covered their ears, trying to prevent hearing loss.

"Man, that thing is so loud! How are we going to combat _that?_" Blueberry complained.

"Let's try and shut up its beak first," Cherry Blossom Chocolate said. "See anything we can use to block the beak?"

Lemon Meringue Pie looked around and then she saw a large ball about the size of the beak, and then she said, "That ball over there!"

Looking it over, Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, "Good thinking! Let's do it, girls!"

The girls then ran over to the ball, and then using her soccer skills, Lemon Meringue Pie kicked it up, and then kicked it to Cherry Blossom Chocolate, who enlarged her fans, and generated a large wind. She then blew the ball at the parakeet, and then it flew straight into its beak.

"Okay, now let's find where the Virulenter is and stop this thing before the parakeet pops the ball!" Blueberry Muffin said.

"Remember, look for the darkest area on the bird, and then we'll distract it long enough for us to cut off the source." Lemon Meringue Pie said, as the girls started jumping and dodging the bird's wings.

"Man, this parakeet sure is cranky!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

However, she soon sensed a large amount of dark energy coming from the longest tail feather on the bird, and then Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, "It's in the tail feathers! Blueberry cut them off!"

Blueberry then took out her baton and turned it into a naginata, and then she said, "I'm ready! Give me a boost!"

She then ran over to Lemon Meringue Pie, he knelt down, and got her hands ready. Blueberry then leapt up on Lemon's hands, and was boosted up to mid-air.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate then used her fans to create a wind and then Blueberry was propelled behind the bird. Seeing that the longest tail feather had the Virulenter in it, Blueberry Muffin just put the naginata away, and then she yanked on the feather, plucking it from the bird, and then the bird slowly changed back to normal, and it was fully intact.

Blueberry Muffin was falling down from the sky, and then Cherry Blossom Chocolate made the rescue by using her fans to fly up and catch her before flying back down.

Soon, the bird, back to normal, flew on to Cherry Blossom Chocolate's shoulder, and chirped a bit.

The girls laughed a bit, and then Licorice appeared out of nowhere.

"Well, it looks like I underestimated you, Cherry-Baby." Licorice said, as he soon smirked evilly.

"You again?! Of all the scum to ruin things for me today…" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"You know this guy?" Lemon Meringue Pie asked.

"Let's just say he stole something precious from me! Something that I won't be able to take back!" Cherry griped, clearly upset at seeing Licorice.

Lemon was immediately clued in, while Blueberry was clueless.

Cherry then used her swords to swipe at Licorice, who teased her before warping away. This caused Cherry much anger, and then she said, "Scum of a prince…"

* * *

The next day at school, Sakuranbo was still grumbling about Licorice when she soon turned around, only to see the concerned, yet relieved face of Makoto.

"President…" Sakuranbo said.

"Are you okay, now? Still shaken up about yesterday?" Makoto asked.

Sakuranbo merely nodded, and then she said, "I got out just fine, thanks to Cherry Blossom Chocolate."

"That's a relief," Makoto said. "I'm just happy you're safe. I'm sorry about yesterday."

"It's no problem at all, President," Sakuranbo said. "I'm just glad we both got out fine."

'_I guess… She isn't Cherry Blossom Chocolate… However, I can't be sure just yet… I just can't prove whether or not she is. For all I know, Cherry Blossom Chocolate could have been lying about getting Ayuzawa-san to safety…'_ Makoto said.

Unbeknownst to them, Sakuranbo was actually blushing, and neither one of them knew that Licorice was still spying on them. Licorice was hoping mad and he muttered, "I won't let that geek get her… Not on his life…"

* * *

**Uh-oh! Sounds like trouble's brewing. We've managed to dissuade Makoto from finding out the truth, and now Licorice is NOT happy with how close he's getting to Sakuranbo.**

**Next time, Hana and Miki get into an argument and it causes a rift in the group. Worse still, how are the girls going to work together well when the aliens have made a leap in their Fungusite creations?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Uh, oh, looks like we've got a problem! Miki and Hana get into a bit of a fight and now the group can't cooperate. Sakuranbo is the only one with her head on straight, but can she reunite the team when she's faced with a Fungusite like no other she's encountered before?**

* * *

_When Life Gives You Both Blues and Lemons_

Back at the hideout where the aliens were, Licorice was working in the lab, experimenting with another Virulenter. Cider came in, and asked, "Sire, may I ask what you're planning to do?"

"I've noticed that the Fungusites we've used so far are only those of animals and more primitive organisms on this planet. So, I had a thought: why not have the enemy attack from within?" Licorice said.

"Mind expanding on that, sir?" Cider asked.

"I've altered the DNA codes of this Virulenter to be able to invade HUMANS. Once the Virulenter has fully settled in to the human's body and cell structure, it can change the human at will, thus creating a more devastating opponent, and it will make it less likely for those Sugar Girls to attack it, because they wouldn't want to hurt their own kind, now would they?" Licorice theorized.

"Excellent idea, sire! Splendid!" Cider said, clapping his hands in delight.

Meanwhile, at the girls' school, the trio was going over the material and information from their previous battles, and came to a few conclusions about their opponent.

"Okay, so like most opponents you would find out of a silly Magical Girl anime or manga, these guys like to use their minions to attack us, and all of the Fungusites we've fought and cured so far have been animals. However, these animals tend to range from harmless birds to venomous snakes. Other than that, there's no pattern." Sakuranbo said, analyzing the situation.

"Oh, man, if they think they can beat us with something like that, then they're dumber than Miki here!" Hana laughed.

"ME?! DUMB?! You're the one with poor grades!" Miki shot back.

"Hey, they're improving!" Hana said, in retort.

"Only because Sakuranbo-chan here is going out of her way to help you." Miki said, in truth.

"Girls, girls, calm down!" Sakuranbo said, trying to placate the situation.

However, it was in vain, and the girls merely pouted and looked away from each other. Sakuranbo sighed sadly, hoping this would not last.

"Crud…" Sakuranbo said.

Later at _Satou Ai_, the girls were working hard at their respective confections, but the trouble was that Hana and Miki were giving off hostile auras and making Sakuranbo uncomfortable.

"Come on, girls, you can't let this little spat of yours get in the way of the main mission!" Eiichi said, coming in to the room.

Sakuranbo informed him and Rikiya of the fight; to say they were worried would have been a MAJOR understatement.

However, Miki and Hana just gave a "humph" and then they turned their backs to each other before Sakuranbo just sweat dropped.

'_What am I going to do? I can't have these two be at each other's throats! Or else our teamwork's going to flaunt!' _Sakuranbo thought, in distress.

"Oi, Sakuranbo," Rikiya said. "If these two girls are going to be fighting, why don't you go on patrol for a while? We'll handle things here."

"Thank you; I will." Sakuranbo said, as she took off her chef's jacket and left the shop.

However, she also tightened the ribbon in her hair to make sure she was aware of the alien threats that could pop out at any moment.

Not even three blocks away from the shop, her ribbon started going off, and then she thought, _'Why NOW?!'_

Deciding not to complain, she took out her ring, and then slipped it on.

People then started running, screaming, as a mutated dog emerged and started howling. It had silver fur, with black and green streaks in it, its eyes were red, and its ears were pointed, as if it was a wolf.

She shouted, _"Confection Ring: Transmogrification!"_

A large, pink, green-stemmed cherry appeared in the air and then Sakuranbo appeared in front of it. Pink light swirled around her body and then her hair magically turned pastel pink, which grew longer before being tied up into a ponytail that was tied up with a ribbon, and a pink beret with a large, red cherry on top appeared on her head. Her eyes turned light pink, and then she smiled with a wink, causing her glasses to vanish. The pink light around her body disappeared to reveal a strapless, pink, tutu-like dress with a skirt that was double-layered with top layer being light pink, with the lower layer being cherry-pink fabric, which went down to knee-height. Her top was strapless, and went just below her neckline, and the top's design consisted of a cherry that had been dipped in chocolate, while the rest of the top was a dark pink color. After doing some ballet twirls, she raised her arms in the air, and elbow-long, dark pink gloves with pink frills on the ends appeared on her arms after magic wrapped around her arms like ribbons. She then did an arabesque, which caused high-heel, knee-high combat boots that had pointed toes, as well as being dark pink to appear on her feet. After doing a jump and landing on one foot, she did a pirouette and raised her arms up to pose.

"Of all times for me to get rid of another Fungusite, it HAD to be now!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as she started flying around the dog as if she were a fly.

"Sire, weren't you going to use that new Fungusite method?" Cider asked.

"This is just to wear those girls out enough for us to ambush them and successfully defeat them." Licorice said, explaining.

Back at the shop, Miki and Hana were still annoyed with each other, but they soon heard growling and then they found their accessory sensors were going crazy.

"Oh, crap! Sakuranbo's in trouble! We've gotta go!" Hana said, dropping what she was doing and then heading for the door.

"What do you mean by 'we'?" Miki questioned.

"It's going to take BOTH of us to stop whatever is giving Sakuranbo trouble!" Hana argued.

"But how can I be part of the team if I'm just _dumb_?" Miki said, repeating the insult Hana threw at her earlier.

"Well, _poor grades_ are irrelevant when it comes to fighting monsters!" Hana said, throwing Miki's words back at her.

Hana's cell phone then went off, and then when she picked up, she moved her head away when she heard Sakuranbo shout, _"WOULD YOU TWO QUIT FIGHTING AND JUST GET OVER HERE?!"_

"UGH! Fine!" Hana groaned.

The girls then put their rings on, and then they realized that it would look suspicious if they run out in uniform, so they were confused.

"There's an escape route in the basement. Transform there, and then you can leave through the tunnel!" Eiichi said.

"Right!" The girls said, before running downstairs, but they were both shoving each other to see who could get through the door first.

"Hey, let me go!" Hana shouted.

"ME?! You let ME go!" Miki shouted.

Both girls then fell through the door, and landed on their stomachs.

The two then stood up, groaned, glowered at each other, and then they held up their hands, with their rings on their fingers.

"_Confection Ring, Transmogrification!"_ The duo said, ready for action.

On simultaneous screens, a lemon symbol appeared on the left screen, and Hana appeared in front of it while on the other screen, a blueberry symbol appeared, and then Miki appeared in front of it. Hana's hair then shortened and straightened out, and her eyes went from blue to golden-brown with a blink, meanwhile Miki's hair went from pigtails to braids with blueberry barrettes, and it turned baby blue. Spinning around, Hana's hair was tied in a bun with a large, yellow ribbon. Lights disappeared from both girls, revealing their outfits. Rather than ballet shoes, Hana then gained soccer boots in deep yellow with white lace stockings and they also had ribbons. Her hair ribbon then gained an accessory that resembled a lemon slice on top of a meringue. Miki, on the other hand, was wearing the same theme colored; fingerless gloves, and the same style combat boots as Hana. She soon kicked in the air, clapped her hands, and then she smiled with a giggle.

The girls did a duo pose, and then they said, _"SUGAR GIRLS!"_

_"I'm the Goddess of Lemons, I'm a Soccer Queen, I am Lemon Meringue Pie!"_ Hana said.

_"__I'm a Blueberry Sweetheart! I'm Blueberry Muffin!"_ Miki said.

However, the girls then turned their backs on each other and crossed their arms; they were still upset with each other.

The girls then made distance and ran out the emergency exit, and then they managed to get above ground; they saw that Cherry Blossom Chocolate was still struggling with the dog, and found herself underneath its paw, on the ground, and its claws were so close to scratching her.

"Cherry Blossom Chocolate!" Miki and Hana said, worried for their friend. However, they turned their backs on each other with animosity towards each other, and then they were growling.

"Can the two of you hurry up and help, please?!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said, as the dog was about to crush her under its paw.

"Oh, sorry…" Lemon Meringue Pie said.

Taking out her tambourine, she said, "Sonic Lemon Boom!"

Generating a yellow Sonic Wave, she used the sound waves to drive the dog away by hurting its ears.

"Good thinking, hurting a dog's ears!" Blueberry Muffin said, sarcastically.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Lemon Meringue Pie argued back.

"Could the two of you just stop it?! We've got a Fungusite to purify! Blueberry, can you change your bo-staff into a naginata? I have an idea!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"Hey, _I'M _the one who stopped that dog from killing you!" Lemon Meringue Pie argued.

"Just trust me!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

"Naturally!" Lemon and Blueberry said, simultaneously.

"For once, we're on the same page…" Lemon said.

Blueberry then raised her bo-staff, and then she turned it into a double-bladed naginata.

"So, what's the plan?" Blueberry Muffin asked.

"The middle claw of the dog's front left paw! That's where the Virulenter is at its stronger! Cut off the claw…" Cherry Blossom Chocolate began.

"We purify the dog!" Lemon Meringue Pie said.

"Right!" Cherry Blossom Chocolate said.

However, the rampant dog soon reared up and used its paw to smack the girls into the wall, and they all came out of the rubble, battered, bruised, but all in one piece.

"Agh…" Lemon Meringue Pie groaned. "Blueberry, stop distracting our leader with your airheadedness!"

"ME?! You're the one who's jealous because Cherry Blossom Chocolate asked ME to help her purify the dog!" Blueberry Muffin said, angrily.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate groaned, but she noticed the dog was about to growl and attack again, this time with its jaws, and then she said, "Oi, girls, cut it out!"

The two were still arguing, not noticing what was about to happen, but then Cherry screamed when the dog snatched her in his teeth. She used her strength to keep the dog from biting down, but the sharpness of the fangs caused Cherry to start bleeding in her left arm.

"Ite…" Cherry said, as she kept her bones and joints locked so as to keep herself from getting crushed by the dog.

The two girls were still arguing, neither one letting up, when Cherry shouted, "STOP ARGUING AND HELP!"

Blueberry and Lemon soon saw the plight their leader was in, and then the two started to attack the dog.

Blueberry prepared her naginata to cut the indicated claw when Lemon Meringue Pie dove in, and used her tambourine to generate a sound wave. However, this backfired, and caused the dog to bite harder, causing Cherry to lose more blood, as well as her battle against being eaten.

"What are you doing?! Cherry's getting crushed!" Blueberry Muffin hollered.

"Like you're not guilty of being lazy and not cutting off that claw like she asked you to!" Lemon Meringue Pie barked back.

"DO SOMETHING, PLEASE!" Cherry shouted, in need of help.

Lemon merely turned up the volume on her tambourine and then she turned it into a boomerang before throwing it at the dog, hitting it in the nose, and causing the dog to bit down even harder, causing a large snap to be heard from Cherry's right leg.

"_OW!_" Cherry hollered.

"That's it! I'm not going to stand around while you cause harm to a dog's ears and face! We're trying to save our planet, not torment animals!" Blueberry Muffin said.

She took out her naginata, and then she cut the claw off, just like she was told to do, and then immediately, the dog spat Cherry out, sending her flying into the crater, further injuring her leg, as well as adding further pain to her left arm.

The dog immediately turned back to normal, and ran off as if nothing happened.

"Cherry Blossom Chocolate!" Lemon and Blueberry said, as they went to administer first aid to their leader.

After wrapping and adding pressure to her bleeding arm and creating a splint for her leg, the two girls carried Cherry back to _Satou Ai_ and then she got further treatment from Eiichi and Rikiya.

While Rikiya was applying the cast to Sakuranbo's leg, Eiichi was applying medication and bandaged to her arm.

"The good news is that there's no need for physical therapy or stitches for any of your wounds, and that the experiment we used to give you your powers also gave you and the other two accelerated healing abilities, so you should be fine in about fifty percent of the time it would normally take for these sorts of injuries to heal. You'll have to stay out of being a Sugar Girl for a few weeks, however, and if anyone asks, just say it was an accident at ballet practice for the leg, and a mishap here at the shop for the arm." Eiichi said.

"That's good to hear, but where are Miki and Hana? Those two have caused me a lot of trouble." Sakuranbo asked. She was about to get her answer, though.

"I can't believe you, Hana!" Miki said, as she and Hana were once again arguing in the back of the kitchen. "The nerve of you to put our leader in harm's way so insensitively like that!"

"What are you talking about, Miki?! You should have listened to Sakuranbo and cut off that claw when she first told you to!" Hana bickered back.

"I would have if _you_ hadn't distracted us by arguing back and not warning us of the dog!" Miki argued.

"But if not for your poor timing, Sakuranbo wouldn't have been injured, nor would we have wasted time purifying the dog!" Hana shouted.

"_YOU'RE_ the one who kept hurting the dog's ears with those sound attacks of yours! You should have remembered that dogs have sharper senses than humans do!" Miki said.

"Heh. For someone so stupid, I can't believe you knew something like that." Hana said, with a smirk.

"What was that?!" Miki shouted, getting angry.

"You two…" Sakuranbo said, as she used her crutches to walk over to her arguing friends. "_STOP THIS ARGUING __**RIGHT NOW!**_"

The two girls immediately stopped and looked over to Sakuranbo, before Miki said, "Sakuranbo-chan…"

"Your behavior in battle was deplorable!" Sakuranbo said. "Hand over your Confection Rings, _**NOW**_."

"But…" Hana said.

"No 'buts', you two!" Eiichi said. "With your behavior today, the two of you have shown us that you're incapable of competence in battle!"

"The two of you need to keep in mind that in this line of work, there's no room for arguing or fighting." Rikiya said.

"Hana, Miki, as leader of the Sugar Girls, I hereby request that you surrender your duties as Sugar Girls until you get this conflict of yours resolved. Until then, you're _**BOTH OFF THE TEAM!**_" Sakuranbo said.

"You can't do that, Sakuranbo!" Hana said.

"She can, and she just did," Eiichi said. "Because I agree with her."

"That makes two of us." Rikiya said.

"But we need to…" Miki said.

"Not _'we'_, you two: _'I'_! I can't have the two of you as my fellow Sugar Girls anymore! Not until the two of you can resolve this conflict and both atone for your mistakes! You nearly hurt an innocent animal and caused ME to get hurt!" Sakuranbo said, sternly.

"But why?!" Hana said, crying.

"With your demonstration in today's fight, I can already see that unless we all see eye-to-eye under all circumstances, you're incapable of making good battle decisions! I almost _**died**_ because of your bickering! Consider yourselves lucky that you know first aid and that you managed to get me here in time!" Sakuranbo said, about to cry.

"No…" Hana said.

"Hand over your rings; now." Rikiya said, putting out his hand.

The girls then sadly took their rings off, and put them in Rikiya's hand.

"I'll keep them here until the two of you reconcile." Eiichi said, and then sent Miki and Hana out the door of the shop.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Rikiya said.

"Until those two can remember that there's more at stake than they realize, then they're not cut out to be Sugar Girls." Eiichi said.

"I concur…" Sakuranbo said.

"This is all YOUR fault, Miki!" Hana shouted at Miki. "If not for you being such an airhead, we wouldn't have caused Sakuranbo to be hurt!"

"Don't blame me! You're the one who kept distracting us in the battle!" Miki said.

"You know what?" Hana said. "Since we're not Sugar Girls anymore, _we're not __**FRIENDS**__ anymore, either_!"

"For once, I agree!" Miki said, before the two girls then walked off to their homes, and decided not to speak to each other ever again.

Watching from the ship, Licorice saw the spat the girls were having, and this gave him the ultimate advantage.

"Well, it looks like my Cherry Baby's not only hurt, but the team has been reduced down to one all because of their own little fights. Talk about convenient for me." Licorice said.

"Maybe while their leader is out of commission and the other two are off the team, now would be the time to use our new Virulenters to destroy them?" Cider inquired.

"Haha! Perfect idea!" Licorice said.

"Your praise is too kind, my prince." Cider said, with a smile on his face.

The next day, Sakuranbo was at school, with a cast on, and in a wheelchair. If one of her arms was out of commission, crutches were out of the question.

"Ayuzawa-san!" Makoto said, as he ran up to Sakuranbo, and then he said, "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine. Just an accident at ballet caused a broken leg and a mishap at _Satou Ai_ caused a large cut on my arm." Sakuranbo fibbed.

"Oh, good, but I hope you get better soon. I was worried sick during that mutant parakeet attack at the amusement park, but now it's nice to know that sort of thing wasn't the cause of these wounds." Makoto said.

'_If you only knew…'_ Sakuranbo thought.

In the classroom, Miki and Hana were still not talking to each other, Hana was studying, for once, and Miki just looked out the window in despair. Although the both of them did not know it, they were both upset and guilty about what happened to Sakuranbo, to the point where they were even wondering if she was right about their incompetence as Sugar Girls.

Meanwhile, Sakuranbo was studying hard, the only thing she could do while the Sugar Girls were unable to fight.

However, on the other side of town…

"Please! Don't do this!" A young woman, in her late twenties said, in fright.

"I have no need for someone like you," A gentleman said, not much older than the woman was. "I wanted a woman who was obedient, but since you refuse, I have no choice but to give up on you. To think I considered _you_ right for the position."

The gentleman slammed the door in the woman's face, and then she started crying as she began to walk away.

The aliens were witnessing this travesty, and then Licorice said, "It looks like this woman is perfect for our first human Fungusite."

"I concur, my liege." Cider said, chuckling evilly.

Licorice pressed the button, and then a different-colored Virulenter appeared from underneath the ship. The Virulenter cornered the young woman, and then it latched onto her shoulder, but the woman was too depressed to notice. The Virulenter then pierced her shoulder and then entered her body through the incision. The woman started glowing an eerie green color, causing her to fall to the ground before forest green markings on her face appeared; her eyes opened, and they became lightless and monotone, as did her face. It was almost as if she had died.

Sakuranbo's ribbon started going off in the middle of class; she panicked, but managed to keep her cool in the middle of class, and then looked around, trying to find a way to get out of the class.

'_Crud… I can't go and fight a Fungusite now!' _Sakuranbo thought, in distress.

Miki and Hana's accessories started going off and then they looked to each other before shooting each other glares and looking in the other direction in animosity.

As soon as the final bell for class rang, Miki and Hana both bolted out the door, and made a beeline for _Satou Ai_.

"We need our rings, STAT!" Miki and Hana said, simultaneously.

"Sorry, no can do," Rikiya said. "Not until you two reconcile. Unless you already have."

"Irrelevant!" Hana said. "We've got another Fungusite, our leader is out of commission, and we need to take charge while Sakuranbo is off duty!"

"Nice to see we agree," Miki said. "Forget the argument, the spat, whatever, we need those rings or else we're done for!"

"Good," Hana said, nodded to Miki, and smiling. "So hand over the rings!"

Rikiya and Eiichi looked at each other, and then the twosome nodded, before giving the girls their rings.

"Thanks! Gotta go and fight a Fungusite!" Miki and Hana said, as they ran out of the shop in a panic.

"Those two seemed to have reconciled and yet they don't know it…" Eiichi said, with a chuckle.

"Okay, let's put our little argument behind us and just stop that Fungusite, wherever it is!" Miki said.

"Agreed," Hana said. "Let's just follow our accessory sensors and stop that Fungusite in its tracks!"

They soon managed to find the source of the signal. However, all they saw was a woman who seemed to be someone out of the walking dead with green marks all over her face.

"Are you sure that's who our Fungusite is?" Hana inquired.

"That's who the signal's coming from, all right, but it doesn't seem like she's hostile," Miki said. "So what do we do?"

"We wait and see what happens." Hana said.

"I can't believe it! I work my butt of for that guy, and no matter what I try, he always goes after other girls, and NOW he has the gall to break up with me! I'll show him; I'll show _everybody! _I'm no DOORMAT!" The woman hollered, as her aura flared up, and then she grew large wings on her back, very long fangs in her mouth, her clothes became torn, and she started roaring.

"EH?! We've never encountered HUMAN Fungusites before! This is so unreal!" Hana said, both she and Miki were freaking out by the sight of their opponent.

"If we're not dreaming, then we may have to hurt her to remove the Virulenter, but we can't do that or we could get into huge trouble!" Miki said.

"But what can we do?! We have no choice!" Hana said.

The woman then started using her wings and started causing property damage to the house the man lived in for her payback.

"Oh, snap! Let's do it!" Hana said.

"Right!" Miki replied.

The girls then put on their rings, and then raised their hands into the air.

"_Confection Ring, Transmogrification!"_ The duo said, ready for action.

On simultaneous screens, a lemon symbol appeared on the left screen, and Hana appeared in front of it while on the other screen, a blueberry symbol appeared, and then Miki appeared in front of it. Hana's hair then shortened and straightened out, and her eyes went from blue to golden-brown with a blink, meanwhile Miki's hair went from pigtails to braids with blueberry barrettes, and it turned baby blue. Spinning around, Hana's hair was tied in a bun with a large, yellow ribbon. Lights disappeared from both girls, revealing their outfits. Rather than ballet shoes, Hana then gained soccer boots in deep yellow with white lace stockings and they also had ribbons. Her hair ribbon then gained an accessory that resembled a lemon slice on top of a meringue. Miki, on the other hand, was wearing the same theme colored; fingerless gloves, and the same style combat boots as Hana. She soon kicked in the air, clapped her hands, and then she smiled with a giggle.

The girls did a duo pose, and then they said, _"SUGAR GIRLS!"_

_"I'm the Goddess of Lemons, I'm a Soccer Queen, I am Lemon Meringue Pie!"_ Hana said.

_"__I'm a Blueberry Sweetheart! I'm Blueberry Muffin!"_ Miki said.

"Shall we?" Lemon said.

"Let's!" Blueberry replied.

Unknown to either one of them, Sakuranbo had secretly taken to hiding out nearby, to see how the two cooperated in this situation.

"Humans as Fungusites, huh? They must have sent out that dog yesterday so as to tire us out so they could prepare this. Those aliens have just hit a new low…" Sakuranbo muttered.

"Remember, this is a human we're dealing with. If we're going to get rid of the Virulenter, we're going to have to find a way to purify her without hurting her." Lemon Meringue Pie said.

"Right!" Blueberry Muffin said.

Seeing that their opponent was flying, Lemon Meringue Pie told Blueberry Muffin, "Without Cherry Blossom Chocolate here, we can't get attack her from the sky!"

"Then I'll give you a boost and launch you up there!" Blueberry Muffin said, as she got down on her knee, prepared her hands, and then Lemon smiled.

Lemon Meringue Pie then leaped onto Blueberry's hands, and then she was launched up into the air.

"Lemon's going to make the air sour! Ready?" Lemon Meringue Pie said, as she prepared her tambourine.

Blueberry Muffin conjured up her ear protection; just when Lemon was about to bang her tambourine, the Fungusite then flew at her, and belted her in the stomach, causing her to fall into the ground.

"Well, that could have gone better…" Blueberry Muffin said. "Oh, if only we hadn't been arguing! Then Cherry would be here and we'd be doing okay!"

"You're right…" Lemon Meringue Pie said, as she stood up, and got to her friend.

Sakuranbo was shocked to see that her friends were finally coming to grips to what their arguing had caused.

The Fungusite squawked angrily and then attacked Lemon and Blueberry again.

"Incoming!" Blueberry Muffin said, as she tackled Lemon Meringue Pie to the ground, but the Fungusite still landed a hit.

This time the girls were knocked into a wall and causing them to take some damage, albeit not nearly as much as Sakuranbo had.

Getting up, it was revealed that Blueberry had taken the brunt of the attack, as she was scathed rather heavily while Lemon did not even have a scratch on her.

"Are you okay?" Lemon asked.

"I've been better." Blueberry Muffin said.

The Fungusite then roared again, and this time she grew a beak out of nowhere and started pecking at the girls furiously, but had a hard time landing hits, as the girls were frantically running around, trying to dodge the beak.

"I'm sorry you had to cover for me," Lemon said. "Let me cover your side this time!"

"We're a team; we cover each other!" Blueberry said.

"Right!" Lemon said.

"_NO ONE_ makes a fool of me! NEVER!" The Fungusite said, as she roared once more, and started flying around erratically, causing the girls to get peck wounds all over themselves with each blind rage attack.

"How did those aliens conjure up a HUMAN Fungusite?" Lemon asked.

"I don't know, but I think we can both agree that this is starting to become a pain." Blueberry said.

"But what can we do? Without Cherry, we're not as powerful as normal." Lemon said.

"Not alone, maybe," Blueberry said. "If we can combine our abilities, we're golden!"

"Great idea!" Lemon said.

The Fungusite then started diving in to stop the team from going any further, but Lemon and Blueberry dodged the bullet and got ready.

Lemon's tambourine started glowing, as did Blueberry's bostaff, and this time, the girls' weapons became stronger and then they used their instincts.

The girls put their weapons together, and then the duo joined hands.

"_Blueberry Lemonade!" _Lemon Meringue Pie and Blueberry Muffin said.

The two girls then launched themselves into the sky, leaving behind a trail of sparkling light, both in their color, and then they turned around and shot a spiraling beam of yellow and blue light, which hit the Fungusite, causing her to fall to the ground, and then the Virulenter from inside then fled its host through the same incision from whence it came from. The woman then slowly changed back to normal, and soon, she was lying on the ground, not remembering anything that had taken place.

"Whew. That was too close for comfort," Lemon said, before taking her ring off, and changing back into Hana. "We could've been goners."

"No joke," Blueberry said, before taking off her ring. "I'm surprised we even made it."

"Nice to see you two have finally settled your squabble." Sakuranbo said, as she wheeled out of hiding.

"Sakuranbo, how long have you been there?" Hana asked.

"Since the fight started, actually. I'm glad to see you two have reconciled, and in the nick of time, too," Sakuranbo said, with a mild shrug. "But to think they're starting to create Fungusites from HUMANS… This can't be good. However, I also want to congratulate and tell you that I'm impressed with that combination you used to purify the Fungusite. We need to try thinking up more of those to make sure we can purify Fungusites without having to even damage them one way or another."

"Thanks, Sakuranbo; coming from you, that means a lot." Miki said.

"Until I'm healed, you two are in charge of things." Sakuranbo said, with a smile.

Watching them from the ship, Licorice banged his fist and shouted, "How could they have taken that monster out so easily?! And I thought those two weren't even friends anymore!"

"I honestly haven't the faintest idea, my liege." Cider said, sweat dropping.

"Well, we'll just make adjustments accordingly and try again…" Licorice said, with a cackle.

* * *

**This was a really intense chapter, wasn't it? Sorry it took so long; school started up a few weeks ago, and hey, you know how it is. Next time, the girls meet up with their fourth and final member, but her bad habit of flirting with other guys gets on her teammates nerves, especially when Hana's crush, the captain of the school soccer team is concerned. **


End file.
